Mon salt producers feel the pinch as prices fall

Salt producers in Mon State say they are facing heavy financial losses this year as salt prices plummet to below 50kyat a viss (a viss is equal to about one and a half kilogram).

Salt producers told Karen News that he had to invest 70kyat a viss salt but the market price has dropped suddenly to 50kyat in recent.

A salt business in Pa Nga salt field told Karen News.

“Our investment cost also depends on how far we are from the salt fields. If the fields are far away, the investment cost will be higher. Now all salt producers are losing because of the market price.”

A Mawlamyine Town salt merchant explained to Karen News why he thought salt prices will stay low in the future.

“A lot of salt for sale in the market is being imported from Thailand to Burma.”

The salt production in Mon State is around 20% of Burma’s total production and the State’s major producers are in Pa Nga village and Thanbyuzayat Township with some production in Ye, Thaton, Paung, and Kyaikkami it is estimated that there are 10,000 acres of salt fields in Mon State. Other salt producing regions in Burma are in Irrawaddy, Pegu, Rangoon region and in Arakan State.

Solar dried salt production starts in January and ends in May before the monsoon season starts. Before producers can start drying in January they have to prepare their fields in September and stock their reservoirs with seawater so salt can be extracted. The seawater needs to be heated by the sun until it reaches temperatures up to 25 degree centigrade to produce the salt.