Salt producers need government help

VIENTIANE.FEB10.(KPL)- The Salt Producers’ Group has urged the government to help address the lack of resources to enhance their production, according to Ms. Bounthavy Chounlamany, Director of Veunkham Salt Production Company.
Ms. Bounthavy said that the main problem of the group was the shortage of labour, mainly during rainy season, since local labour are engaged in their rainy season rice farming.
Other problems include the shortage of fund for their salt production expansion, for the acquisition of machinery and chemical substance used in salt quality analysis.
“Most salt producers want the government to help them access to financial institutes that can provide them with long-term and soft loans,” said Ms. Bounthavy.
She said that salt produced in Laos was of good quality and clean and needed in foreign markets. But the current production capacity cannot meet the demand.
The salt produced by the group is available in three categories, two for human consumption and another one used in industrial factories.
Last year, the Group produced over 45,200 tonnes of salt including 19,644 tonnes of iodised salt.