Mon State Salt Farmers Association to provide technical assistance to Arakanese salt farmers

11 Feb 2023

DMG Newsroom
11 February 2023, Sittwe

The Mon State Salt Farmers Association says it will support salt farmers in Arakan State with a salt water system, soil levelling system, salt purification system and other technical assistance to increase salt yields.

An official from the Mon State Salt Farmers Association told DMG that these technologies will be provided to Arakanese salt farmers when they are ready to start salt farming.

“I would like to say that if Arakanese salt farmers ask for help, we will call three or four salt experts and salt farmers to assist them,” said U Kyaw Tin, secretary of the Mon State Salt Farmers Association.

There was discussion about the provision of technical assistance to salt farmers in Arakan State at a meeting of the Myanmar Salt Farmers Association to elect a new chairperson, held in Yangon on February 4, according to those engaging in salt production.

Most salt farmers in Arakan State dry their salt on the ground, and because the raw salt contains impurities including sand and mud, buyers are limited. Out of 1,000 acres of salt farms in Arakan State, only around 200 acres are sun-dried with plastic sheets that help to limit impurities.

U Tun Kywe, secretary of the Arakan State Salt Farmers Association, said Arakan State’s salt farming industry will develop if technical assistance from the Mon State Salt Farmers Association is received.

“With the help of technology, if we change all our water systems and salt purification systems, the rate of salt production will increase, and the salt will be quality raw salt and pure salt,” he explained.

But working with the technology provided by the Mon State Salt Farmers Association will increase costs, at least in the short term, presenting a financial hurdle for many salt farmers in Arakan State.

Those engaging in the salt farming industry say the military council should disburse loans to salt farmers in order to develop the salt production industry in Arakan State and produce higher quality salt.

“Salt farmers are having financial difficulties in buying equipment and machinery,” U Tun Kywe said. “The Myanmar Salt & Marine Chemical Enterprise and the Arakan State government have been saying for a long time that they will provide loans to develop the salt production industry in Arakan State. Salt farmers are also expecting government loans.”

Since early 2022, the Arakan State Salt Farmers Association has submitted a request to the Arakan State military council to provide loans to salt farmers in Arakan State, but until today nothing has happened.

DMG phoned Arakan State military council spokesperson U Hla Thein and Arakan State commerce minister U San Shwe Maung to seek comment on the loans to be disbursed to Arakanese salt farmers, but they could not be reached.

The export of salt from Arakan State to Bangladesh, which has been suspended for a decade, has now resumed, but Arakanese salt farmers still face technical and financial challenges to produce quality salt.