The sponge farms were well maintained while we were absent and the sponges started to grow noticeably faster again with the “cold” season fading out. However, we need to work on improving the quality of our products. Too many of the sponges are either odd shaped, ill or have small deficits which may easily be prevented by using adequate care. This is not surprising since possible uses of sponges have locally not been known..
We discussed the problems and developed solutions as well as optimised workflows together with sponge farmers. The outcomes are being implemented via intensified trainings in farming, processing and final inspection of the product.
The first successes were instantaneous, resulting in noticeably improved harvests. Furthermore, we made small sales brochures and updated our website with product information. Our sponges are something to be proud of and they are truly unique too!
