A seasonal Nor’wester has caused widespread damage to salt fields across coastal areas of Cox’s Bazar and Bashkhali, leaving farmers struggling to cope with significant losses.
According to marginal farmers, nearly 68,000 acres of salt fields have been affected by adverse weather over the past two days, disrupting production of around 100,000 metric tonnes of salt.
Data from the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation indicate that about 300,000 metric tonnes of salt production were lost earlier in the season due to 12 days of rainfall. However, officials remain optimistic that they can still meet production targets if favourable weather persists over the next two to three weeks.
Before the storm, production surged amid intense heat, rising from 12,000 metric tonnes per day to a record 32,000 metric tonnes per day. The sudden storm and heavy rainfall, however, disrupted this momentum, washing away prepared salt beds and dissolving harvested salt.
Thousands of acres of salt fields along the Cox’s Bazar and Banshkhali coastlines are now lying idle. Farmers have returned to their fields to drain water and repair protective coverings as conditions slightly improve, but many report heavy financial losses.
Farmers said they are currently assessing damage and waiting for stable weather to resume production. If conditions improve, they expect to restart salt production within a week. However, continued rainfall could further delay recovery.
Deputy General Manager of the Cox’s Bazar Salt Industry Development Office, Mohammad Zafar Iqbal Bhuiyan, said sudden rainfall does not always destroy salt entirely, as farmers usually take precautionary measures based on forecasts. However, he acknowledged that unexpected downpours can still damage salt ready for harvesting.
He added that the primary impact this season has been on production, with operations halted for about 12 days due to rain, resulting in an estimated shortfall of 300,000 metric tonnes.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
