COX’S BAZAR, Apr 27: Salt production has hit a record high of 1.7 million tonnes in the past four months in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar.
Farmers are now working in a buoyant mood in the salt fields as there prevails a favorable sunny weather, without any rain.
In line with the target, the farmers of the coastal region are getting a good yield of salt, said industry insiders.
According to official sources, salt is being produced on 66,424 acres of land in Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Eidgaon, Maheshkhali, Chakaria, Teknaf, Kutubdia and Pekua upazilas of Cox’s Bazar and Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram.
A target to produce 2.545 million tonnes of salt was set for the region in the current year while 1.7 million tonnes was produced in the last four months against the total target.
A total of 41,765 farmers have been involved in salt production in eight upazilas of Cox’s Bazar and Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram since in the last week of November, 2023.
Farmers said that it was possible to produce much salt as there was no rainfall or any natural disaster.
On the same land where salt is produced, prawn and crabs are also cultivated during the monsoon. Paddy is also produced on the some land.
Mostafa Kamal Chowdhury, president of Cox’s Bazar Salt Producers Association, expressed the hope that if the weather condition continues to be favourable, farmers would be able to exceed the production target by far this year.
Since the price of salt has been good at the beginning of this year, the farmers embarked on its cultivation with great enthusiasm.
The farmers, however, expressed the fear that if salt is imported from abroad, they would not get the fair price.
In that case the farmers will be affected. In the future it will have a negative impact on domestic production of salt.
Sector insiders alleged that a syndicate at the highest level of the government is causing extreme harm to the country by working in favor of salt import.
As a result, there is apprehension among salt farmers about not getting the fair price.
Farmers and traders said that salt fields in the country are most prominently in Cox’s Bazar and Banshkhali of Chattogram.
With the salt produced in these two districts, it is possible to meet the needs of the whole country and export it abroad.
Salt farmers in the coastal areas including Khorushkul of Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar Sadar said that the country produces enough salt.
They are also trying their best. But they demand that salt should not be imported in any way.
Advocate Shahabuddin, president of Maheshkhali Salt Cultivators Association, said that there is a lot of potential of salt production in the country.
If farmers are supported by the government providing loans, salt production will increase substantially, he hoped.
It will also create an opportunity for the government to obtain a huge amount of revenue.
According to the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), the demand for salt in the country in the season of 2023-24 is 2.528 million tonnes.
At the beginning of the season, there was a stock of 1.6 million tonnes of salt at the field level.
The demand for salt in the 2022-23 season was 2.385 million tonnes while the production was 2.232 million tonnes.
The price of salt in the 2023-24 season has been fixed at Tk 526 per maund and Tk13,146 per ton. However, farmers say that salt is being sold at Tk350 to Tk 360 per maund.
Besides, there are large salt centers in Lemshikhali of Kutubdia, North Nalbila, Gorakghata of Maheshkhali, Matarbari, Gomatli of Eidgaon, Darbeshkata of Pekua, Dulahazara of Chakaria and Phulchhari, Teknaf, Baraghona in East of Banshkhali.
Salt Industry Development Office Cox’s Bazar Inspector (Development) Md. Idris Ali said the farmers would benefit more if there is no rain and the weather is favourable.
Zafar Iqbal Bhuiyan, deputy general manager of Salt Industry Development Project of BSCIC, said farmers are working in the fields with the target to produce 2.545 million tonnes of salt on the same land which used to produce 1.2 to 1.3 million tonnes of salt.
He also said that the Bangabandhu Salt Research Institute was being established at Choufaldandi in Cox’s Bazar. It would work on how to produce salt round the year by using a more advanced technology.
“In the future, we hope to produce more salt by using new technology at low cost and employing fewer people. However, due to higher production and favorable weather conditions, the price of salt may come down,” he added.
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