Recent trends in nori products and markets in Asia

Since 1960s, modern techniques for nori (Porhyra) cultivation, artificial seeding of conchospores, floatingnet cultivation and freeze storage of nets, have been introduced into Japan, Korea and China. Owing to recent developments of these techniques, mechanization of processing and adaptation of fast-growing varieties of Porphyra, annual yield of nori have increased rapidly. Individual problems have, however, arisen in each country. In Japan, as the result of overproduction of nori, the farmers' profit level has, in general, decreased. As a consequence, the number of nori farmers, especially among those who would enter the industry, has declined markedly, and this is currently a serious problem. In Korea, there is a pressing need to improve the quality of nori, which is more important than increasing production. In China, the technical level of producing high quality Porphyra through cultivation and processing high quality nori is relatively undeveloped. There is thus a critical requirement to develop basic techniques in both cultivation and processing of nori in China.