No shortage of salt to preserve rawhide

The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (Bscic) has said the country currently has a stock of 11.56 lakh tonnes of salt. Every year on Eid-ul-Azha, around one lakh tonnes of salt is required for the preservation and processing of hides of sacrificial animals across the country.

According to the Department of Livestock, the demand for salt was 81,820 tonnes against the number of animals sacrificed during last Eid-ul-Azha. As a result, it will be possible to meet the demand of Eid-ul-Azha with the stored salt and meet the demand of salt for another seven to eight months, reads a press release issued by the Ministry of Industries on Tuesday.

On the other hand, after only four months, the new season of salt production will start, so there is no chance of any shortage of salt in the country, said the Bscic.

According to the Bscic, 186 registered salt mills in eight salt zones of the country are continuing to produce salt in full swing to ensure uninterrupted supply of salt across the country for rawhide preservation and processing ahead of this year's Eid-ul-Azha. 

Of these, four mills are in operation in Dhaka, 34 in Narayanganj, two in Chandpur, 57 in Chattogram, 34 in Patiya, 35 in Cox's Bazar, eight in Khulna and 12 in Jhalokati. Although the average monthly production capacity of the existing salt mills is 3.40 lakhs tonnes, the mills produce salt according to the market demand.

Meanwhile, the Bscic has made preparations for the round-the-clock monitoring of the overall salt production and supply situation during Eid-ul-Azha. The Bscic has introduced a three-tier monitoring system by forming separate committees at the Bscic offices, regional offices and head offices located in salt zones. 

These committees will take necessary steps to keep the supply chain of salt uninterrupted by regularly collecting information on stockpiling, movement and price of salt at the field level. 

On this occasion, a control room has already been opened at the Bscic head office. For information on general issues related to salt, please contact 02-9563505 (Land) / 01911-636200 (Cell Phone).

Besides, under the direction of the Ministry of Industries, a list of districts and upazila-based dealers and wholesale salt sellers with mobile numbers has been prepared through the district offices of the Bscic in collaboration with the district marketing officers and district administration concerned. 

The list will be provided to orphanages, madrasas, mosques, schools-colleges, hat-bazaars and union parishads and other organisations concerned with the preservation and processing of sacrificial animal skins before Eid. So, the Bscic thinks that there is no chance of manipulating salt.