Salt farmers in Cox’s Bazar are enjoying record-breaking profits this year, thanks to the government’s decision to stop importing salt from abroad.
Around 150,000 salt farmers are harvesting salt this year after the prices jumped to Tk460 per maund (around 37kg). The boom in trade has also seen 70,000 of the available 74,000 acres of salt-farming land being used in the district.
Cox’s Bazar is the only place where salt is harvested in the country. Hundreds of thousands of people in Ramu, Ukhia, Teknaf, Chokoria, Pekua, Moheshkhali, Kutubdia, and the Sadar upazila depend directly or indirectly on the salt trade for their livelihoods.
Around 50 salt factories are also located in Sadar upazila’s Islampur BSCIC industrial area.
Salt farmers in Moheshkhali’s Fakira Ghona area told the Dhaka Tribune that the price of each maund of salt is currently Tk460, compared to Tk170 from previous years. They credited the government move to stop salt import behind the boom, and said salt-farming areas are being expanded as a result.
Sources at Cox’s Bazar BSCIC said this fiscal year’s annual harvest target has been set at 2.15 million tonnes, compared to a 1.28 million tonne production in 2014-15.
Md Zahidul Haq Nahid, a salt trader in Boro Moheshkhali, however warned that a syndicate of unscrupulous businessmen have been trying to take advantage of the good times and deprive farmers of profit.
President of the Cox’s Bazar Salt Farmers Council, Md Mohibullah, thanked the prime minister for stopping salt import and urged that a Salt Board be formed to protect their interest.
If the current production trend continues, Bangladesh would soon be able to export salt as well, he added.
Local lawmaker Ashek Ullah Rafiq said he has held several meetings with the industries and commerce ministers to implement a stop to salt import. But he added that the salt farmers should now stay alert to make sure that there is no salt shortage in the country.
Around 2.3 million people in the district would be saved if the salt industry is protected, the MP said, adding that salt was a key to the economy of the district.
