New salt policy aims to encourage eco-friendly production
The government has framed a fresh policy to increase domestic salt production through the use of modern and environmentally-friendly technologies and gradually end imports by 2026 when overall demand is projected to reach 25.30 lakh tonnes.
Including 8.76 lakh tonnes of the edible variety, the total demand for salt in fiscal year 2021-22 is estimated to have been 19.38 lakh tonnes, according to National Salt Policy 2022 issued by the industries ministry.
The policy intends to train salt producers and ensure easy loans to increase domestic production of the chemical sodium chloride, an important item for human and animal health.
The latest policy replaces a previous one framed in 2016, which also had a number of objectives.
But HM Shahid Ullah, president of Bangladesh Salt Farmers' Association, said the old policy has not been implemented fully. "…it was not effective," he said, adding that farmers would benefit a lot if the government helps them use modern technology to produce salt.
The new policy, as of the previous ones, also aims to ensure a minimum 100,000 tonnes of buffer stock of salt.
Shahid said the intent of building a buffer stock to tackle emergencies has been limited to paper only. It has not yet been implemented, he said.
The new policy contains previous plans for taking decisions for imports during special circumstances, allocating land, including new ones, for salt production and ensuring supply of adequate salt to preserve hides during Eid-ul-Azha.
Hides from sacrificial animals during the Eid account for most of what the country generates annually.
According to the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), if the new policy is implemented, the desired goal for salt production would be achieved. After that, there will be no shortage of salt, said Sorwar Hossain, deputy general manager of extension division of the BSCIC.
He said a number of issues had not been made clear in the previous policies.
In the new policy, all those issues such as ensuring easy loans for farmers and land lease have been specified. So this policy will help the farmers involved in this industry to move forward, he added.
He also said the new policy forecast sector-wise annual demand for salt until fiscal year 2025-26. He said proper estimation of the demand was important as it would be instrumental in ensuring domestic production.
Owing to population growth, demand for edible salt will increase to 9.24 lakh tonnes in fiscal year 2025-26 from 8.76 lakh tonnes in the current fiscal year, according to the policy.
Farmers produced 16.5 lakh tonnes of crude salt in fiscal year 2020-21.Till date in the ongoing fiscal year, crude salt production stands at 11 lakh tonnes, said the BSCIC official.
Producers mainly in the southeast coastal districts of Cox's Bazar and Chattogram produce crude salt which was refined in mills. About 500,000 people are directly and indirectly involved in the salt industry, according to the policy.
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