Kupang, Dec 2 (Antara NTT) - Indonesia`s salt production has reached only 115,000 tons until early December, 2016 far short of the whole year`s target, salt producer PT. Garam said .
The government has set salt production target at 3 million tons for this year, but so far production has reached only 115,000 tons, far short of expectation," Ali Mahdi, the marketing director of the state owned salt producer here on Thursday.
Ali Mahdi blamed the weather phenomenon El Nina for the failure to reach the target saying, the El Nino has caused heavy downpour even in dry season in the country.
Heavy rain hampered process of production in salt producing areas such as Madura, the country`s main producer of industrial and consumption salt.
Many parts of the country have been hit by flooding and land slides triggered by heavy downpour this year including in the middle of the year when normally there is dry season.
With production falling short of requirement, PT Garam was forced to import salt as the company already ran out of stock, Ali Mahdi said.
"Currently we have no stock. All stocks have been sold. Therefore we have to import especially consumption salt," he said, adding, it was too long to wait for the next harvest in the middle of next year.
In line with the regulation of the trade minister No. 125 of 2015 on salt imports, PT. Garam is authorized to import consumption salt.
Leaders of the East Java Association of salt farmers after seeing the condition at the salt ponds in the village of Bipolo, near Kupang said they supports the plan of PT Garam to import consumption salt.
"We only ask that import should not be more than needed," chairman of the association Muhammad Hassan said. Indonesia has imported salt mainly from Australia.
