Raw salt price likely to rise in next opening season

The salt traders expected that the raw salt prices are likely to rise in Mon State, Myanmar’s second-largest salt producer, in the next opening season, it is learnt.
Next coming January 2022 is the opening season of the salt and there will be less access of the raw salt in the market.
Besides, the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology in southern Myanmar has announced that there is a possibility of La Niña in January and February, which is the next coming salt season of 2022. The salt farmers need to be vigilant because La Niña can cause occasional rain, lower night temperatures and possible colder temperatures than usual.
In Mon State, the salt production period is December, January and February. During this period, most salt farmers will sell their raw salt to cover labour costs and other expenditures.
Last January 2021, the raw salt price (normal) was K65 per viss (a viss equals 1.6 kilogrammes) while the raw salt (pure) is K85 per viss. At the last opening season of the salt, the salt prices were not good, and the yield loss of the salt was due to the early rain.
Although the price of salt is mounting in the late season, there is less salt stockpile in the hand of local farmers and traders. On the other hand, rising fuel oil prices have also pushed up transport costs.
Therefore, the last 2021 salt season can be said to be a year of low yields and losses for farmers.
At the end of December, the raw salt price (normal) fetch K130 per viss while the raw salt (pure) is K150 per viss.
Yearly, Mon State produces nearly 40,000 tonnes of sun-dried salt beyond magnesium chloride (MgCl2), iodized salt (I2) and table salt (NaCl).
The 2019-2020 statistics showed 14 iodine salt processing plants and one factory each for magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and table salt (NaCl) production, with the production capacity of 60 tonnes of magnesium chloride, 204 tonnes of table salt and 12,132 tonnes of iodized salt.— NN/GNLM