CHATTOGRAM, Dec 20: Salt farmers in the country are expecting a record-breaking salt production in the current season but at the same time they are also sceptical about fair price of their produce.
Farmers' sources said they are concerned about implementation of the low price of salt fixed by the mill owners.
Talking to The Financial Express, salt farmers in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar said that it is now the peak season of production and good weather is the prime cause of potentially high yield of salt.
They called upon the authorities concerned to stop import of salt from neighbouring countries and ensure its fair price for the growers.
President of Cox's Bazar Salt Farmers Songram Parishad Moksud Ahmed said, "Production of salt has increased and is set to break the previous record. If the mill owners control price of salt by creating syndicate, the farmers will be loser as syndicate deprived salt farmers earlier."
He said, "Breaking all records of 62 years, salt production hit 22,32,890 tonnes in the 2022-23 season, whereas in the previous season (2021-22), it was 18, 32,000 tonnes."
"However, in the 2023-24 season, breaking records of 63 years, 24,36,890 tonnes of salt was produced, which is 200,000 tonnes more than the yield of the previous season (2022-23). Salt production in the current season is likely to break all previous records. In the current season, the demand and target of salt production in the country are set at 26,10,000 tonnes," he added.
He said, "The government and Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) should fix the price of salt considering profit of farmers."
General Secretary of Cox's Bazar Salt Farmers Songram Parishad Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury Khokan Meah said, "At the beginning of the current season, price of salt at the field level came down to half. Edible salt is sold at the rate of Tk40 to Tk 45 per kg in the market, but the price of per kg salt at the field level is now Tk8 only. But the cost of producing salt per kg is about Tk15."
He alleged that the mill owners are trying to harm the salt industry by forming syndicate and called upon the interim government to save the sector through their intervention.
He added that farmers are saving around Tk 5,000 million (Tk500 crore) by producing salt in the country.
General Secretary of the Salt Workers Union at Banshkhali Mostafa Ali said, "We have supplied huge salt to the salt factories in the country. But mostly salt farmers and workers are not getting the fair price."
According to the BSCIC, salt is cultivated in 10 upazilas of Cox's Bazar and Chattogram.
Salt has been cultivated on 66,424 acres of land in Chakaria, Pekua, Kutubdia, Moheshkhali, Eidgaon, Sadar, Ukhia and Teknaf upazilas of Cox's Bazar and Anwara and Banshkhali coastal belt in Chattogram in the current season.
Some of the farmers have their own land while many have taken land on lease from owners.
Consequently, a vast area of land has been used for salt cultivation in Banshkhali coastal belt in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar in the current season.
According to officials of Cox's Bazar Salt Industries Development Project, land acreage for salt cultivation has increased since last year in greater Chattogram.
The target of salt production has been fulfilled in the current season.
The salt farmers used a polythene system for cultivation. As a result, the quality and quantity of salt have increased.
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