THE Cambodian Salt Association has reserved 80,000 tonnes of salt for the domestic market in 2011 in case salt production drops, following a shortage last year.

Ly Seng, president of the Cambodian Salt Association, said yesterday that the organisation was storing the extra salt for the coming year in case producers failed to make enough to meet demand.

“We are not concerned about a shortfall of salt for the coming year because we already have enough in reserves to respond to the demands of our residents,” he said.

Cambodia, which has a population of around 14 million people, consumes between 90,000 and 120,000 tonnes of salt each year.

Heavy rainfall in 2009 saw the association members produce just 30,000 tonnes of salt, forcing it to request government permission to import salt from China to help meet needs.

Ly said that even if salt production was hampered by too much rain next year, there would be no repeat of the crisis because the association was preparing ahead by storing its surplus.

“We plan to produce 90,000 tonnes of salt next year, but even if we don’t reach this goal, we will still have enough for local consumption,” Ly Seng said.

The Cambodian Salt Association, which has 187 salt producers as its members in Kep and Kampot provinces, has harvested a total 174,000 tonnes of salt this year – 84,000 tonnes over its target.

According to its reported statistics, the association has already sold 50,000 tonnes this year to local consumers for US$41 per tonne.