One example of a successful business initiative revolving around Spirulina production can be seen in Madurai, India. Here 15 women run a production facility of 40 Spirulina tanks. They work to produce 150kg of Spirulina per month.
They pack the Spirulina in dry form of 2-gram sachets and sold to two local NGOs. The Spirulina is also combined with millet, jaggery, and sesame to produce “chikki” a type of energy bar to feed 2000 children per day from slums in the neighborhood. At this scale of production, the facility is extremely efficient and produces at a cost of 0.01 euro per child per day. They currently do not sell in the open market, as this requires more management and marketing skills, however, this is being worked on
Spirulina has very high micronutrient content, is easy and cheap to produce locally. It is, therefore, a very realistic and also sustainable solution to the problem of malnutrition as opposed to food fortification or distribution programs. Fortification programs try to improve the quality of food by for example adding vitamin A and D were to milk and margarine.
These are not always effective since this food is usually not available to the people in rural areas who suffer most. Similarly, food distribution programs are very effective during short-term emergencies, however, are not long-term solutions to malnutrition. Spirulina production, on the other hand, can effectively combat malnutrition and simultaneously provides business opportunities for locals, particularly women.
Antenna Technologies has developed simple systems for the production of Spirulina, using simple tanks and specific culture medium recipes.
Spirulina programs are currently being implemented in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, India, and Vietnam.
One example of a successful business initiative revolving around Spirulina production can be seen in Madurai, India. Here 15 women run a production facility of 40 Spirulina tanks. They work to produce 150kg of Spirulina per month. They pack the Spirulina in the dry form of 2-gram sachets and sell to two local NGOs.
The Spirulina is also combined with millet, jaggery, and sesame to produce “chikki” a type of energy bar to feed 2000 children per day from slums in the neighborhood. At this scale of production, the facility is extremely efficient and produces at a cost of 0.01 euro per child per day. They currently do not sell in the open market, as this requires more management and marketing skills, however, this is being worked on.
The overall production is a 14 days cycle. The training for the same can be received from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi
If planted in 1 acre it can provide an income of more than 1 lakh monthly after an investment of 2 lakh in a spirulina farm.
For more information regarding its production
‘Leaf Green Biotech’
Nauhar, Rajasthan
Contact no. 9413538145.
