VN to import 260,000 tonnes of salt in 2010

LookAtVietnam – Viet Nam will import 260,000 tomes of salt in 2010, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The price in northern and central provinces is higher, at around VND1 million ($55) per tonne.

“This is the commitment of Viet Nam when the country became member of the World Trade Organisation,” affirmed Ngo Chi Dung, head of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Products Processing and Salt Industry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“Viet Nam will only import salt with high quality, which the country has not been able to produce, to serve some processing industries”, Dung affirmed.

According to a report of the ministry, the country’s annual demand on salt is about more than 1 million tonnes. Basically, the country can meet this demand.

However, the country will import more than 230,000 tonnes of salt per year in accordance with the commitment of the WTO.

Last year, farmers in the whole country made only 800,000 tonnes of salt in a total area of more than 14.470ha.

Compared with 2008, these numbers increased 16 per cent in area but reduced by 5 per cent in volume.

“Due to unfavourable weather conditions in southern and central provinces, salt production was strongly affected,” Dung explained.

The situation, however, may be better this year.

Recently, about 120,000 tonnes of salt are stocked.

Moreover, southern provinces started new crop on a big area, about 400ha wider than last crop.

“Weather in southern provinces is now good for salt production so that a bumper crop is expected. Thanks to that, we have enough salt to serve production and living consumption,” Dung said.

At that moment, price of salt is standing at a suitable level.

One tonne of salt in southern province is now about VND350,000-500,000 (US$19-27). Meanwhile, price of industrial salt is from VND550,000 to VND850,000 ($30-47) per tonne.

The price in northern and central provinces is higher, at around VND1 million ($55) per tonne.

With a beach of more than 3,000km, Viet Nam has many advantage conditions to produce salt. Salt production has employed 80,000 labourers.

However, it has many weakness, especially the technology. The industry has not been able to produce high-quality salt to serve processing industries due to out-of-date technology.

To overcome this, the ministry has boosted the investment in central and southern provinces.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

 

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