Salt farmers have reported a steady decline in the price of sun-dried salt from Mon State. The current rate is hovering around 100 kyats per viss.
Before the Thingyan festival (Myanmar New Year festival), raw salt was priced at approximately 160 kyats per viss, but after the Thingyan festival, the price of raw salt dropped to 100 kyats per viss.
Nai Ba Shain, a salt farmer, said, “Now the garage is full of salt, so there is no place to store it. We have to sell it at the current price.”
This year’s salt production season saw a surge in commodity prices, which led to a rise in the cost of salt production. As a result, profitability can only be achieved if the price of raw salt stands at 150 kyats per viss, according to one salt farmer.
“During the salt season this year, fuel prices are high and labor costs are increasing, so the price of raw salt will be at least Kyat 150 per pound,” said a salt farmer from Panga Village.
Salt farmers are incurring losses due to the combination of escalating salt production costs and the downward spiral of market prices.
Sun-dried salt production in Mon State typically commences near the end of the rainy season, around mid-September, while raw salt production usually begins during December and January.
In Mon State, salt production is carried out in Panga Village, Thanphyuzayat Township as well as Kyaikkhamily. There are also salt industries in Setse and Weakalaung villages and in Ye and Paung Townships. Panga Village alone hosts 2,900 acres of salt fields. If the weather remains favorable, they typically are able to produce roughly 300,000,000 viss of salt.
