Due to rain and adverse weather conditions, salt production along the Cox’s Bazar coast has been declared halted. As a result, the government’s target for salt production this season remains unmet.
According to the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Cox’s Bazar Salt Industry Development Office, salt production reached 2,251,651 metric tons by May 17 this season.
However, worsening weather prevented farmers from working in the fields afterward. The official salt demand for the country this year is set at 2,610,000 metric tons. Last year, total salt production at the end of the season was 2,437,890 metric tons.
Farmers say that salt prices were low at the start of this season’s production. They accuse mill owners of forming syndicates to keep prices artificially low. On top of that, adverse weather has caused them further losses.
Md. Jafar Iqbal Bhuiyan, Deputy General Manager of BSCIC, said that salt cultivation covered 59,099 acres in seven upazilas of Cox’s Bazar and 10,089 acres in three upazilas of Chattogram.
Production has been disrupted for over a month due to bad weather and rain. With no improvement in conditions expected soon, salt production has been officially declared stopped.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
File Photo
