Chattogram Bureau :
Even two weeks ago, the price of salt at the field level was Tk500, while it was Tk570. Tk260 in the field and Tk340 at the mill level in a span of 15 days.
Marginal farmers are blaming the mill owner syndicate for this. Stakeholders complain that the correct picture of salt production in the country is hidden.
The big mill owners of the country, including Dhaka, Narayanganj were looking for opportunities to import salt from abroad. But due to the strict stance of the government to sustain the domestic salt industry with the declaration of salt policy, the organised syndicate is not getting that opportunity. So, the syndicate of mill owners has started a deep conspiracy to reduce the price of salt again. So that the marginal farmers turn away from the domestic salt industry.
Since the beginning of the production season, due to favorable weather conditions, the production of salt has been going on continuously in the fields.
It brings smiles to the faces of at least 1 million people who depend on salt, including half a million marginal farmers, 100,000 workers. Suddenly, in the middle of the production season, these people got their hands on the head because the syndicate reduced the prices.
Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries (BSIC) has informed that eight upazilas of Kangbazar, the only salt producing region, Chakaria, Pekua, Kutubdia, Maheshkhali, Eidgaon, coxsbazar Sadar, Ukhia and Teknaf and parts of Chattogram’s Banshkhali and Anwara upazilas have started salt production on 66,291 acres of land. Farmers do. However, compared to the last season, the production increased by three thousand acres of land this year.