More heat brings cheer to salt farmers

Yield per acre increases as the mercury level shoots up

A family members drawing salt from the salt field at Sattenapalem village near Machilipatnam in Krishna district.

Thanks to shooting up of mercury levels, the farmers on the coastline of Machilipatnam are keen to increase their salt yield per acre. With the summer setting in, the farmers of Sattenapalem village, near the port town, for the next three months, will depend on the scorching weather to increase the salt production to .

“Only two factors — temperature levels and rains — will decide the production period and outcome,” said a farmer China Venkateswarulu.

Around 50 families in the sleepy village on the coastline are involved in salt production. Each bag containing 100 kilograms is sold at Rs. 150, Rs. 50 more than the last year’s price.

“The seawater turns into salt in eight days if the weather is above 30 degree Celsius. During normal weather, the water will take 12 days turn into salt particle. We take up production of salt four times a month to increase our production and income,” said Lingam Chanti, a farmer.

Along the coastline of Machilipatnam, both small and marginal farmers are producing the salt on nearly 45 acres. Boat operators and dry-fish units in Krishna district are prime buyers of the salt.

The dry-fish units, for whom salt is a prime ingredient for the entire year, create additional demand for the storage purpose.

“Maximum of 30 bags of salt can be drawn from an acre in each harvest. The increase in yield depends on the number of harvesting which is completely depends on the temperature-level,” farmers said in unison.