COX'S BAZAR: The government move to ban edible salt import is yielding fruit, giving fair prices to salt producers in the district.
After counting losses for years, several thousand salt farmers of Cox's Bazar are now happy seeing profits for their production.
Kamal Hossain, a salt producer from 16 Jainya Ghona of Maheshkhali's Kalarmarchhara, said, "I sold white salt (unrefined) at Tk 350 per maund last week. Excluding all expenses, my profit has been Tk 100/120 per maund."
Anwar Pasha Chowdhury, president of the Salt Farmers' Association, said, "We hope the scope of salt production will increase this year. The number of salt farmers has already increased since they are getting fair prices."
Cox's Bazar is the largest salt producing region in the country. Around 70,000 marginal farmers are now producing salt in some 64,000 acres of land, according to estimation.
The salt producers are mainly from Teknaf, Maheshkhali, Eidgaon, Cox's Bazar Sadar, Pekua, Chakaria and Kutubdia coast.
The officials of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) said the demand for table salt has been fixed at 23.56 million tonnes this year, which could be met by domestic production.
Nurul Kabir, president of the Salt Mill Owners' Association, said, "If salt producers can earn well, they will produce more salt."
