Salt production and business under review

October 22, 2011 | 09:56

(0) user say

A conference was held in Hanoi on October 21 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to review this year’s salt production and discuss measures to buy, produce and supply iodized salt.

In 2011, Vietnam’s total salt production area covered more than 14,500 hectares, and this year’s output is estimated to hit 800,000 tonnes.

Last year’s 400,000 tonne stockpile of salt along with the large volumes kept by consumers and businesses has resulted in slower consumption and a drop in market demand.

Participants said that salt-producing enterprises are yet to access bank loans, and the MARD and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s granting of tariff quotas for salt import has greatly affected salt workers’ production and their income.

In the context of the soaring prices of essential goods, low salt prices of VND800-1,200 per kg has placed salt workers in a difficult position, and they are struggling to make ends meet.

Business and local government representative asked the agricultural sector to develop strategies with the aim of launching a salt production cooperative alliance, investing more in production facilities and advanced technology, stabilising salt prices, and building national salt storages to adjust supply and demand as necessary.

They also highlighted the need to run training courses on salt production and processing techniques for workers and agricultural promotional staff.

At the conference, the MARD proposed carrying out five projects to launch model operations for clean salt production in Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces.

Vietnam is estimated to consume roughly 1.37 million tonnes of salt and its output is likely to hit 1 million tonnes in 2012.