"AlgaeFarm comes at the right time in the evolution of the European and world market." - says Alberto Bertucco, President of AISAM. "We are grateful to Pordenone Fiere that has been offering the sector an important opportunity to meet for the past five years."
The latest research by California-based StrategyR revises the size of the current market upwards, one step away from one billion dollars (990 million) last year, with an average annual growth forecast of 5.2 percent between now and 2026. According to StrategyR, the two most important algal species right now, spirulina (49%) and chlorella (29.4%), carry the growth thanks to their use in foods and nutraceuticals products purchased for their value in strengthening the body's defences. That is a behavioural effect deriving from the pandemic that already appeared in the second half of 2020 and in 2021.
In Italy, the demand for dried microalgae is around 200 tons for uses ranging from food and nutraceuticals to cosmetics and from pharmacopoeia to feed for fish. Less than 13 percent of the demand is now satisfied by national production, for three quarters concentrated on spirulina, headed by a dozen companies that focus on organic certification, due to the high quality required by our market. Competition is very strong especially regarding "certified organic" spirulina from India, China and South-East Asia, which boasts prices that are one third of the European one.
However, the market potential remains very high and interesting. Market prices go up very quickly looking beyond dried biomass, which can be defined as the zero degree of use of microalgae, and focusing on other substances obtainable from fresh biomass (therefore not exposed to Asian competition). Fatty acids, including omega-3s, sprout between $ 200 and $ 600 per kilo while for fucoxanthin, a powerful anti-inflammatory, even $ 45,000 per kg.
For more information about AlgaeFarm visit the website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
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