REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SUMENEP -- State-owned salt producer PT Garam said it hopes to increase production up to 100,000 tons by the end of this month provided that the weather condition remains favorable.
Until early September the company produced 43,000 tons of sales from its production units on the island of Madura in East Java, and Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara.
"Thanks, God, the weather is favorable early September for salt production . Hopefully the condition will continue allowing us to boost production," Production Director of PT Garam Budi Sasongko said here on Thursday.
With production reaching 100,000 tons by the end of this month, the company could supply salt mainly to business partners outside Java, Budi said.
"Hopefully the dry season would continue until at least the second week of December that supply to our partners would be smooth," he said.
He said the company concentrate supply to regions outside Java as Java has many salt production centers operated by farmers, adding regions outside Java depends much on PT Garam for salt supply.
Currently , PT Garam has more than 5,000 salt farms located in three regencies in the island of Madura -- Sumenep, Pamekasan, and Sampang, and in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.
Last month Indonesian households complained about soaring price of salt and scarcity of supply of the foodstuff as a result of shrinking domestic production forcing the government to increase imports.
The country, which has the second longest coastline after Canada in the world still relies on import for salt especially industrial salt.
The government, however, had pledged that the country would reach self sufficiency in salt supply in 2019.
Also read: Luhut optimistic about self sufficiency in salt supply
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan said the government will encourage efforts to boost salt production and improve the quality of the foodstuff.
A number of programs have been worked out and prepared by the government to boost production and improve the quality of domestic salt products, Luhut said.
The minister said the government would built a number of salt processing factories in a number of areas including Madura, which is the largest producer of salt in the country.
He said the government has for a long time sought to increase the country's production and improve its quality, but plan failed for lack of commitment .
"It would need support from all including the farmers . Without support from all elements of the nation the government would fail to bring to reality its commitment to reaching self sufficiency in 2019," he said.
Indonesia, which has the second longest coastline in the world still relies on imports to meet its consumption.
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