New seaweed processing facility to be built on Welsh coast

Câr-Y- Môr, Wales’ first regenerative seaweed and shellfish farm, is to build a new first of its kind seaweed processing facility in Wales.

The facility at St Davids, Pembrokeshire will begin construction later this year and will produce a plant biostimulant using seaweed harvested from Câr Y Môr’s sustainable ocean farms off the Pembrokeshire coastline.

Seaweed biostimulants contain substances which are mostly organic, but with trace levels of inorganic nutrient elements. They stimulate plants’ natural processes, supporting growth, flowering, fruiting and resistance to stresses such as drought, heat and cold.

Alternative

These natural Biostimulants are increasingly being explored as an alternative to synthetic fertilisers and pesticides because they can help to keep the land nourished and balanced.

Câr Y Môr co-founder Owen Haines said: “There is a growing interest in this type of regenerative farming because many are concerned that modern farming practices are reducing our farming land’s productivity and ecosystem health. Creating a sustainable future is a core part of Câr Y Môr’s aim, and we’re very excited about the potential to provide farms and domestic customers in the UK and Ireland with a natural and sustainable biostimulant produced just off our coast.”

Before the product goes on sale, the biostimulant will be further tested, and farmers and members of the public can become part of the trial by contacting Câr-Y-Môr.

Founded in 2019, Câr Y Môr is a Community Benefit Society (CBS). This business structure enables it to be owned and democratically run by its growing 260 members. Membership is open to all as it only costs £1. Câr Y Môr’s mission is simply to improve the health of our planet and people by sustainably farming seaweed and shellfish on its ocean farms off the coast of Pembrokeshire, and selling sustainable Welsh Seafood products locally, online and across the UK. The addition of Seaweed Biostimulant to their product range is key to bringing more benefits to all.

“Exponential growth”

“A little-known fact regarding the unique CBS structure is that it has the potential for exponential growth,” said Owen. “This is possible due to the amazing network of people it can attract and the significant unsecured funding it can raise for investing due to its 100% community ownership. Câr Y Môr is at the vanguard of showing how the potential growth of the CBS model can be achieved. We currently employ 14 people and aim to develop a financially and environmentally sustainable source of employment.”

Initial research of seaweed biostimulants shows an average of 17% boost in crop yield (more details on the fact sheet accessed via this web page), reducing dependency on costly synthetic fertilisers, and empowering your soil with enhanced resilience against abiotic stress – all while contributing to the UK’s transition to low-carbon agriculture. Câr Y Môr’s biostimulant makes this a reality by tapping into the rich resource of farm-grown sugar kelp and oarweed, harnessing the ocean’s nutrients through an energy-efficient process to nourish and invigorate your soil.

Owen Haines added: “Our seaweed biostimulant is not just a product; it’s a promise to the land and to those who nurture it. As a sustainably focused, community-owned business based in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, we will provide a cutting-edge biostimulant derived from our zero-input ocean farm located in grade A waters in the Ramsey Sound, off the coast of St Davids.”