Bangladesh’s salt cultivation breaks 62-yr record

Salt cultivation reached a 23-year high this fiscal, thanks to the conducive environment. Good market value has also encouraged farmers in salt farming using the seawater. 

Although the salt harvesting season has not ended yet, crude salt production reached 18.39 lakh tonnes this year, highest in 62 years, according to the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC).

Last year the highest record of salt production was 18.32 lakh tonnes.  In the current season, a total of 66.424 acres of land was cultivated while in the last year it was 63.291 acres.

Compared to last year, this year the area of salt farming land has increased by 3,133 acres.

In the current salt season, the number of salt farmers is 39 thousand 467, which was 37 thousand 231 last year. Compared to last year, the number of salt farmers has increased by 2,236.

To achieve self-sufficiency in the country, farmers are brought to the field around a month ahead of the season begins.

If the weather is favourable it will be possible to produce more than 20 lakh tonnes of salt this year, the BSCIC officials expected.