Kampot salt production up in 2024
Kampot salt production up in 2024
Cambodia produced some 130,000 tonnes of geographical indicator (GI) salt in Kampot province in 2024 thanks to favourable climate, as the country has registered the products as GI products in the EU markets.
The production of salt in the last season reached a record high of some 130,000 tonnes, Bun Narin, President of the Association of GI Kampot-Kep Salt Producers, said.
“Salt output in 2024 reached more than 130,000 tonnes, an increase over 2023, which was 80,000 tonnes,” Narin told Khmer Times.
Salt farmers in Kampot and Kep provinces have resumed their natural salt production processes, while the salt harvest has yielded relatively good results, he said.
According to a report by the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, the salt production area in Cambodia is 3,987 hectares, of which 3,489 hectares are in Kampot province and the rest is in Kep province.
Salt production season is normally between December-May each year. But when summer is prolonged and the hot weather continues, production can continue till June.
By the end of May, the department will have more accurate data on the salt fields and production capability, she said. Salt is currently priced at 10,000-12,000 riels ($2.5-$3) per 50 kg sack.
Cambodia consumes between 70,000 and 100,000 tonnes of salt to meet domestic demand yearly.
In the unfavourable weather of heavy rain pours, salt production decreased, requiring the Kingdom to make salt imports from abroad to supply the domestic market.
In 2023, the Ministry of Commerce officially inaugurated geographical indications (GI) tagged salt. This salt could fetch a higher price internationally than ordinary salt.
The ministry has recently submitted a proposal on registering GI-salt from Kampot and Kep province in the EU market.
The government has directed relevant ministries to maintain a vigilant focus on enhancing the management and conservation of salt fields in Kampot-Kep province, which are ancestral heritage and must enhance salt production, recognized by the government as a strategic commodity.
