It’s sabotage, conspiracy: Mill owners

-- No salt crisis right now

-- Salt stock for 3 months in hand

--3-4 lakh tons of salt in stock now

--New salt to come within 15-20 days

--19 lakh tons of salt to be produced by Dec & May

Salt Mills Owners Association today said that a group of unscrupulous people have spread rumours over salt price with an aim to destroy the industry and to create an unstable situation in the government.

“It is sabotage and conspiracy to destroy the salt industry,” Nurul Kabir, president of the association, told The Daily Star this afternoon amid the growing rumours of crisis of salt in the market.

“There is a stock of salt for three months in our hands. Furthermore, new salt will come in our hands after 15 to 20 days. So, there is no salt crisis right now in the country,” Kabir said.

Calling upon the country people not to be confused by misleading information of salt price, he urged the law enforcement agencies to pay their heeds to take action against those responsible for the rumours.

Claiming that there are four lakh tons of salt in the stock at present against 1.50 lakh tons of monthly demands, he also called upon all the traders not to increase the salt price capitalizing the rumours.

“Apart from this, a huge amount of salt is now in our hands unsold,” the association leader said.

Besides, 19 lakh tons of salt will be produced by December and May, he added assuring the people not to get confused with the rumours.

Contacted, Syed Alamgir, managing director of ACI Consumer Brands, told The Daily Star that at present there is no shortage of salt in the country.

“We did not change price of salt. We are supplying salt normally,” said the director of one of market leaders that sells packed edible salt of ACI pure brand.

Quamrul Hassan, business director of the ACI Limited, told The Daily Star that there is no possibility of salt crisis as its production begins in December every year and continued till May.

He said the need of salt in Bangladesh is around 16 lakh tonnes but there is enough salt in the stock right now.   

“Based on our average sales, we have got adequate stocks to meet demands of our customers for the next two months. We have not increased prices,” said Asif Iqbal, deputy managing director FMCG of Meghna Group of Industries, which markets salt branding as Fresh.