REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUPANG -- Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti visited state-owned salt company PT Garam and Garam Rakyat in Bipolo Village, Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT), on Sunday.
"I am pleased because there is good cooperation between PT Garam and the local community in (salt) production process, so the operation (of the company) runs well," the minister said.
She held a dialog with salt farmers when visiting the 400-ha PT Garam located around 40 km from Kupang City.
Susi Pudjiastuti hoped that the salt production of Bipolo would support the government's salt self-reliance program to meet salt demands in the province as well as the country.
"How come that we still have to import salt from abroad while our country has vast sea. We should be able to produce much salt from this vast sea," she urged.
She reminded the company and local farmers not to cut mangrove trees while opening new farming areas to grow salt.
President Director of PT Garam Ahmad Budiono informed the minister that the company is expected to produce 36 thousand tons in October this year.
The company focuses on fulfilling domestic demand, and therefore does not export its salt.
Data at the PT Garam showed that the national need for salt has reached 4.04 million tons annually. It consists of 1.3 million tons of consumer salt and 2.74 million tons of industrial salt.
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