The government agency BSCIC and the millers are wide apart over the national demand for key salt in the country.
Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) estimated the country's demand for salt at about 1.65 million tonnes while Bangladesh Labon Mill Malik Samity claimed it to be around 2.4/2.5 million tonnes.
The government agency came up with an incorrect figure on the country's demand for salt, encouraging unscrupulous traders to import the essential item illegally and depriving the local salt farmers of fair prices, millers said.
The millers requested the prime minister to take the next course of action against the syndicate of sodium sulphate importers and fix the actual demand for salt annually.
They also sought the premier's intervention to fix the price of salt at Tk 20 per kg at the consumers' level and ensure the fair price of locally-produced salt and protect the industry sector.
When contacted, director (project) of BSCIC Mohammad Ataur Rahman Siddique said people need 10/11 grams of salt a day. Accordingly the country's demand for salt is 1.65 million tonnes annually.
He said that the millers came to the BSCIC and conveyed their observations about the country's demand for salt. They put it at 2.4/2.5 million tonnes.
When contacted, President of Bangladesh Labon Mill Malik Samity Nurul Kabir said the BSCIC figure on the country's demand for salt was encouraging unscrupulous traders to import the essential item illegally and depriving the local salt farmers of fair prices.
"We want to stop it for the sake of the country's salt producers including fair prices of the key essential item," he added.
According to a source, some unscrupulous traders had allegedly been importing a huge amount of sodium chloride in the name of chemical items under false declarations.
As a result, the supply of salt surpassed the demand, pulling down the prices for the producers. Besides, the government was being deprived significantly of a huge amount of duty due to the illegal import of salt.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun and State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Mojumder visited Cox's Bazar to inspect the salt production areas. The ministers talked to traders, producers and millers during their visit.
A Cox's Bazar salt trader said, "We want to stop importing sodium sulphate as we are being affected due to import of the item. The local farmers are not getting fair prices for their salt."
The BSCIC fixes the annual demand for salt with a 10 per cent annual growth rate commensurate with the growing population, a senior official of the state-run agency has told the FE.
He added that there was a sufficient stock of salt in the country to meet the demand for this year, including the requirement for processing the raw hide of sacrificial animal during the Eid-ul-Azha.
The government only considers importing salt in the event of an acute shortage of the item, officials said.
Bangladesh had imported 0.25 million tonnes and 0.5 million tonnes of crude salt in 2016 and 2017 respectively in an attempt to stabilise the local market, they said.
Over 1.8 million tonnes of salt were produced in the last season against the target of 1.7 million tonnes set by the BSCIC against the domestic demand for over 1.65 million tonnes.
During the Eid-ul-Azha, a significant amount of salt would be required for preserving hides and skins of sacrificial animals, a commerce ministry official said.
The country produced 1.66 million tonnes of salt in 2016-17 and 1.62 million tonnes in 2015-16, BSCIC sources said.
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