Salt production forecast to surge 20% this year

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The MARD estimates that total salt supply this year is 1.52 million tons, including 170,000 tons in stock from last year, 150,000 tons produced in 2011 but harvested in 2012, and 200,000 tons of imported high-quality salt for use in chemical production and the health care sector.

This year the country's total salt demand will be 1.45 million tons.

Salt production faces difficulties because of the lack of proper zoning plans and investment in research techniques to improve salt production and quality.

Although salt farming is a traditional occupation, the country does not have a school for training salt engineers.

To solve the problems of salt production, MARD will set up programs and curricula for training in salt production techniques.

The ministry will focus on promoting techniques for producing clean salt, including the technique of using plastic canvases on salt fields to produce clean salt.

In 2012, MARD will apply five models of producing clean salt in the northern provinces of Thái Bình and Thanh Hóa, the central provinces of Nghệ An and Hà Tĩnh and the southern province of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu. 

If investment is proper, the salt industry can meet the domestic demand of high-quality salt for chemical production and even export high-quality salt./.