The deputy minister made the statement at a meeting with salt farmers on his mission trip to salt production farms in the Mekong Delta Province of Ben Tre’s Ba Tri District.
Listening to farmers’ complaints of the decreased price of salt lately, Mr. Nam supposed to set up a cooperative to re-arrange production in a bid to help the development of salt production.
Moreover, linkage with enterprises will increase consumption at higher prices and the application of technology will help reduce labor costs.
Farmer Le Van Trung in Bao Thanh commune complained the price of salt has decreased for two consecutive years resulting in no profit. Worse, to get higher prices, farmers need to use techniques like covering salt fields with canvas sheets to keep out impurities. The cost of canvas sheets is quite high whereas farmers are short of capital; as a result, so many farmers stick to use traditional methods.
Deputy Chairman of the People’s Committee in Ba Tri District Duong Van Chuong said that 750 households in the district take part in making salt in the area of 795 hectares including 600 hectares in Bao Thanh Commune. Last year, they made 12,700 tons of salt.
Traders offered to buy salt in canvas-covered fields at the price of VND45,000/40 kilograms of salt. But They agreed to pay only VND35,000/40 kilograms for salt made as per traditional approaches. With the low price, salt farmers have not made much profit for two years.
Accordingly, 12,000 tons of salt are being stockpiled in farmers’ warehouses.
Deputy Chairman Chuong said to preserve the traditional salt making, the People’s Committee in Ba Tri District has zoned the salt area of 600 hectares for the 2021-2030 period in Bao Thanh and Bao Thuan communes. The local administration will help farmers to make salt in canvas sheets as well as set up a cooperative and link with enterprises to raise farmers’ profits.
