CNI News

16 Mar 2023

Due to unseasonal rains and strong winds, salt farms in Mon State have suffered huge losses, according to salt farmers.

Unexpected rains on 12th March night caused rainwater to flow into salt farms and salt on them was damaged.

Although rain was predicted, farmers were not able to move them due to labour shortages, resulting in losses, U Hla Tin, a salt farmer from Thanbyuzayat Township in Mon State told the CNI.

He told the CNI, " Heavy rains in our areas destroyed 50,000 visses of salt. Some farmers were aware of the unseasonal rains but others were not. We harvested salt but it was difficult for us to do so because of labour shortages. As a result, half of my salt farm was damaged by the rains."

A salt farm

It will take 15 to 20 days to recover damaged salt and each salt farm lost salt worth about MMK 10 million, according to salt farmers.

It rained unseasonally three times in Mon State during this salt producing season but farmers did not suffer losses in the two previous unseasonal rains. However, most salt farmers suffered losses in the last unseasonal rains, according to salt farmers.

As salt was damaged by rains, salt prices in the market have risen from MMK 120 to 170 per viss, a salt farmer told the CNI.

A salt farm

He said, "As salt production has dropped, prices have increased. At higher prices from MMK 170 to 200 per viss, it is profitable for merchants as well as farmers."

There are 4,200 acres of salt farms in Mon State and more than 400,000 tons of salt is produced from the farms. However, only about 200,000 tons of salt was produced in Mon State due to unseasonal rains.