Lack of buyers due to the unavailability of transportation, a result of of the ongoing political unrest, has caused a drastic decline in the price of the salt produced in Cox’s Bazar.
Boat owners are refusing to carry salt during hartal and blockade programmes, tremendously hampering the marketing chain in different districts. As a result, salt farmers and businessmen are facing severe losses.
Price of salt has decreased drastically to Tk100 per mound, from the rate fixed by the government, which is Tk 160 per mound.
Although the supply of salt had increased, the demand, especially in Dhaka and Chittagong, has fallen sharply. At least 15, 00000 mounds of salts has been left lying in salt fields.
Salt farmers of Kutubdia upazila under the district said: “In the last month, at least 5, 00000 mounds of salt was produced in six unions of the upazila. Farmers produced 10, 00000 mounds of salts and had been storing it in holes in the ground, hoping to sell it at a higher price later.”
However, according to the farmers, their efforts were in vain; they still could not sell the stocked salt.
Samsuddoha, a salt labour in Shikadar Para in the upazila, said:
“The salt price has plummeted because of the shutdowns and blockade programmes. There is hardly any demand among the consumers in Dhaka and Chittagong to buy salt at a cheaper rate.”
Abdur Rahim, another salt trader in Lemshikhali, said: “We cannot deliver salts to different mills in Dhaka and Chittagong because of a lack of transport. At least 10,000 mounds of salts are stacked in fields.”
According to the local salt traders, there were more than 100 salt traders in the upazila.
Many local farmers have lost interest in producing salt.
