In the season of salt production for export

The entire Quynh Luu district currently has nearly 600 hectares of salt production with an annual output of more than 60,000 tons; concentrated in the communes of Quynh Yen, Quynh Minh, An Hoa, Quynh Thuan, Quynh Nghia, and Quynh Tho.

In order to contribute to increasing the value of raw salt for salt farmers, the district has paid attention to attracting investment so that many salt processing companies have the opportunity to find raw material areas to build production plants locally. Thanks to that, in recent times, many companies and enterprises have boldly invested in clean salt and iodized salt production lines in the area, bringing Quynh Luu salt to export to the US and Japanese markets.

To have a flat, qualified salt production pond, salt farmers must go through stages of repair and upgrading. Photo: Le Nhung

Mrs. Tran Thi Vet's family in Quynh Thuan commune has 3.5 plots - equivalent to 230 m² salt production. To prepare for the 2018 salt crop, Ms. Vet has mobilized human resources to repair and renovate the masonry ponds, canals and filtration systems. With favorable weather conditions, after completing the renovation of the ponds, around mid-March of the lunar calendar, the first batches of salt can be harvested.

Since the end of 2008, with the support of Quynh Luu district, Quynh Thuan commune has innovated the salt production process in the direction of increasing the production of clean, high-quality salt with a total investment of hundreds of millions of VND; currently, the commune is focusing on increasing the production area according to the new process. To develop the salt industry, the locality has invested in upgrading, expanding the area, building infrastructure such as building water supply and drainage channels, improving drying cells, etc. In addition, the locality also supports salt farmers in building improved filters, replacing sand in canals to increase productivity and reduce labor.

To ensure productivity and salt output this year, in addition to encouraging people to actively upgrade and renovate ponds, the locality also has many support policies to gradually improve the lives of salt farmers - Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Thuan commune, Quynh Luu district said.

Mrs. Vet is actively using a roller to compact the soil to create a flat surface for the salt making pond. Photo: Le Nhung

Currently, in the district, there are 4 factories processing refined salt and iodized salt; from processing activities, each year the units have purchased and consumed about 40,000 - 50,000 tons of raw salt for salt farmers, with revenue reaching approximately 10 billion VND.

The positive signals from the salt industry, especially the increase in salt prices at the end of 2017 as well as factories purchasing salt for export processing to increase the value of salt, have contributed to motivating and encouraging salt farmers to actively repair and renovate ponds to enter the new production season in 2018.

The salt fields of Quynh Thuan commune yield 15-17 thousand tons each year. Photo: Le Nhung

According to Mr. Bui Xuan Truc - Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quynh Luu district, before the 2018 salt production season, the district directed cooperatives and units to clean the supply and drainage canal systems, build filters, spread tarpaulins for crystallization...

In 2017, implementing Decision 87 of the Provincial People's Committee, the district was supported with nearly 500 filter sets and 85 sets of crystallization cell tarpaulins. In 2018, the district planned to build 650 filter sets and spread 250 crystallization cell tarpaulins. Up to now, 350 filter sets have been built and 80 crystallization cell tarpaulins have been spread.