A salt field in Kampot (Source: opendevelopmentcambodia.net) Phnom Penh (VNA) – Cambodia may be facing a salt shortage yet again this year as output has only met some 30 percent of local demand, according to the Salt Producers Community of Kampot-Kep (SPCKK).
SPCKK technical chief Bun Narin said that Cambodian salt production is mainly in the coastal provinces of Kampot and Kep, with harvest season beginning in mid-January and ending in April every year.
The two provinces have more than 4,000 ha of salt fields altogether with the average productivity of 20 tonnes per ha per year, he said, adding that salt demand in the country is between 80,000 and 100,000 tonnes each year. Salt fields have only yielded around 30,000 tonnes in 2019 so far.
Narin attributed the poor salt production to unfavourable weather conditions and labour shortages.
Despite a poor salt harvest, prices have not changed dramatically. Cambodian salt is now sold at 18,000 KHR (4.44 USD) per 50 kg, a slight increase against last year.
In 2018, Cambodia had to import over 20,000 tonnes of salt from China. This was the second time the country had to purchase salt from China after having spent 2.2 million USD in 2009 to import the same amount. -VNA
VNA
