While the delay in the onset of northeast monsoon has in fact angered the farming community, salt producers here are elated as they could extend the current season for three more weeks to achieve annual production of 21.25 lakh tonnes.
Since procurement price of salt is also very decent this year, the salt producers are really jubilant.
As the northeast monsoon usually commences in October, the salt producers used to wind-up their operations by September every year and stock their produce to be sold till mid-January. Salt producers having their pans in Veppalodai, Tharuvaikulam, Ayyanarpuram, Muthaiahpuram, Mullakkaadu, Arumuganeri areas would either wait for bulk orders between September and January or go in for value addition like iodization, packeting etc during this period with an eye on getting more price for their product.
Though the period between January and September is the ‘salt production season’, the pandemic seriously affected production in March last for a week. However, like farming, salt industry too resumed operations that went on smoothly till September-end with sunny days and strong winds that are important for increased salt production.
Even as salt producers were thinking that the season would close by September-end, delay in start of monsoon gave them three more weeks of production. With the extended season, the district has so far produced 21.25 lakh tonnes of salt till third week of October.
Secretary of Small Scale Salt Producers’ Association, A.R.A.S. Dhanapalan, said the increased production of salt was due to the steps taken by Collector Sandeep Nandur during the lockdown in March.
“When police stopped the workers and the producers from going to saltpans during the lockdown, the Collector came to our rescue saying that supply of salt, an essential commodity, should not get affected. Hence, we could achieve 85% of our capacity, which was 17.50 lakh tonne last year. We’ve already sold 14 lakh tonnes of salt and 7.25 lakh tonnes of salt is stored in the pans,” Mr. Dhanapalan said.
Salt price is also on an encouraging note this year as a tonne of salt was being sold anywhere between ₹1,200 and ₹1,700 based on the quality.
“The increased production and decent price this year will help us settle any outstanding. We’re quite satisfied with the season this year,” said A. Antony Dhanaraj, a salt producer having saltpans near Tharuvaikulam.
