Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Salt body to import 30k tonnes from Thailand, China

Salt body to import 30k tonnes from Thailand, China

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
A capital vendor sells salt in Phnom Penh.

Salt body to import 30k tonnes from Thailand, China

The Kingdom will import 30,000 tonnes of salt to meet domestic demand as stockpiles are expected to empty by November, a leader from the Salt Producers Community of Kampot-Kep said.

Citing the impact heavy rains have had on the industry, co-executive director of the body, Bun Bariang, told The Post on Thursday that community leaders prepared last week to bring in salt from Thailand and China.

He said the 30,000 tonnes would account for roughly a third of the country’s annual demand of around 100,000 tonnes.

“Now, we are studying salt prices overseas, while that which was bought from abroad may arrive in Cambodia in October,” he said.

Fishing season

According to Bariang, the biggest time for salt consumption in Cambodia is during the fishing harvest, when it is used in the production of prahok and other fermented products.

As of press time, a 50kg sack of salt was selling at 17,600 riel ($4.34) at the market.

The Kingdom previously faced a salt shortage in 2008.

Ministry of Industry and Handicrafts spokesman Oum Sotha echoed the claim that weather was to blame for low domestic production.

“The community has the right to import salt. The ministry does not forbid it, but make sure the imported salt has iodine,” he said.

There are more than 4,600 hectares of salt marshes across Kampot and Kep provinces. They are farmed by some 200 families, Bariang said.

Salt harvest season lasts from January into late April.

Kampot and Kep province’s salt production data show that last year, the community produced 33,000 tonnes of salt and more than 100,000 in 2016. Salt stockpiles currently stand at about 20,000 tonnes.

Cambodia’s salt industry generated total revenue about $22 million last year, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Handicrafts.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one