THE Bible was the first written record that cited the possibility of salt losing its flavor or salinity. In the case of the Philippine salt industry, “losing flavor” means being in the doldrums, closing the salt beds in favor of housing subdivisions, and depending on –again – importation for about 85 percent of our need for this precious commodity.
The country imports at least 850,000 metric tons of salt from Australia and China every year. This is a pathetic situation considering that the Philippines has 36,289 km of coastline, the fifth longest coastline in the world. We have enough territory to produce salt from the sea.
Vietnam, from which we import rice, salt and other agricultural products, has only 3,260 km of coastline, yet the Vietnamese can produce salt for their own consumption, with surplus for the export market. The Philippines produces a mere 100,000 MT of local salt compared to Vietnam’s 1.1 MT a year.
‘We welcome this development in the salt industry with the hope that it will solve the nation’s problem with salt.’
Salt is an important ingredient in cooking, just as garlic and onion are, yet our agriculture and trade departments are seemingly content with just importing these commodities when we can develop and enhance their local production.
More than half for our salt requirement goes to the kitchen. But salt has many more uses in the industrial sector like in the manufacture of paper, for plastics, as fertilizer for coconut trees and for use in ice plants, etc. As thousands of Filipinos depend on the salt industry for their livelihood, it is but natural for government to ensure that our own salt-making industry does not lose its salinity.
It is welcome news that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed into law the “Philippine Salt Industry Development Act” which aims to strengthen and revitalize the salt industry as part of the administration’s efforts to promote rural development and increase rural income.
The law signed on March 11 states that appropriate technology and research, and adequate financial, production, marketing and other support services will be provided to salt farmers to attain increased production, achieve salt-sufficiency and make the country become a salt exporter.
The measure classifies salt as an aquatic resource product and shall be exempt from taxes.
A Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap will be established to ensure the attainment of the objectives of the law, which are aligned with the continued implementation of Republic Act No. 8172, or “An Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN).
A “Salt Council” chaired by the Department of Agriculture (DA) will also be created to ensure unified and integrated implementation of the salt roadmap and accelerate the modernization and industrialization of the salt industry.
The DA-National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, in close coordination with the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, will lead the development of latest technology in salt production, particularly one that allows year-round production of salt even under erratic weather patterns. It will also encourage mechanization of salt production and develop technologies that promote alternative methods and cost-effective techniques in salt production.
The new law improves on the old ASIN law which mandates the iodization of locally produced salt. This one is less restrictive, as it says, “Iodization of artisanal and non-food grade salt and salt intended for export is hereby rendered optional in the country. The use of artisanal salt by food manufacturers and food establishments shall be allowed.”
We welcome this development in the salt industry with the hope that it will solve the nation’s problem with salt.
