Fadel was still furious about salt import

JAKARTA: up to September this new local production of salts 12.9% or 469.000 tons out of a total target until the end of 2011 to reach 1.4 million tons.However, the Minister of marine and Fisheries Fadel Muhammad did not explain the reason of low production.According to him, the local production of 469.000 tonnes was accompanied by a down price of salt, Rp400 per kg up to Rp450 per kg. The cause of the fall in price because of salt imports flood the local market. The amount to 735.000 tons. “How would expect high prices if salt imports come in? “he said at the Ministry of marine and fisheries, this afternoon.Reflect of the condition, the CTF will continue to allocate aid people’s Salt Business Empowerment (Restore) the total budget Rp90 billion. “The Budget allocated to the nine target areas,” said Fadel. Restore underway in 40 kabupaten/kota on 10 provinces. In this vast land efforts intensify Restore salt at 8,030 ha. Through the salt land productivity, Restore will be increased from 60 tons/ha to 80 tons/ha with the addition of the target production 349.200 tons.Restore will empower 2.057 salt business group with the number of members of 14,400 people’s petambak of salt.The Chairman of the Association of Farmers of salt all over Indonesia (Apgasi) the main issue said Syaiful Rahman currently plaguing the salt grower the purchase price of the salt industry that does not fit the basic price of the Government. Current price-quality salt 1 (KW-1) Rp550 per kg and quality 2 (KW-2), while the Government Rp400. setting the purchase price of salt farmers KW-1 Rp750 per kg and KW-2 Rp550 per kg.Instead, according to the salt industry, Syaiful often lower the assessment of the quality of salt from the farmers. For example, the quality of the salt should be assessed KW-1, was revealed to be KW-2. “There are still companies play a quality salt. Whereas, existing standards of the Ministry of trade. But it was barren, is not applied. They tend to play a quality, “he added.Apgasi also asked the Government to review again the two importers who pocketed the importer listed salt does not have a time limit import of salt. Syaiful explains the type of salt importers should not be importing salt as salt harvesting took place. Salts of Noah, which caused the price of imported salt local plummeted. “The importer was not profitable farmers, only benefits himself. We ask the Government to review them again, “he said. (ln)