Sufficient salt reserves in country: BSCIC

At present, the country has an adequate reserve of salt, according to the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) under the Ministry of Industries.

According to BSCIC, the country's salt reserve is 20.03 million metric tonnes, including the stock from the fresh salt production that ended recently and the surplus from the last season, reads a press release issued on Sunday.  

Information from the BSCIC Industrial Development and Extension Department and the BSCIC Salt Industry Development Office in Cox's Bazar, the total demand for edible and industrial salt in the country was estimated at 18.49 lakh metric tonnes in the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Of this, a total of 15.70 lakh metric tonnes of crude salt was produced in the recently ended season. Besides, the surplus salt of last season was 4.33 lakh metric tonnes, the press release reads.

So, against the entire local demand, the total salt reserve of the country is 20.03 lakh metric tonnes. And this is about 1.50 lakh metric tonnes more than the total demand of the country. Of this, by meeting the demands till May of the current financial year, the total stock of salt at the salt field and mill level on June 1, 2020 is 13.68 lakh metric tonnes.

Besides, there are stocks of iodized edible salt at the dealer, wholesaler and retailer level across the country.

Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, industrial production has been disrupted and the demand for industrial salt in the country is relatively low.

The salt production season starts in November every year. As such, there are only 5-6 months left until the start of the new season. Fresh salt will start arriving in the market from then, according to the press statement information. 

With the current reserve of salt, it will be possible to meet the demand for salt for the next 10 months, including that for the processing of animal skins for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.

As the new season salt will be available in the market in November this year, there will be surplus salt to meet the national demand for industrial and edible salt.

Consequently, there will be no need to import salt this year, adds the press release.