Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries is preparing strategic steps for achieving national salt self-sufficiency by 2027.According to the ministry's director general of marine spatial management, Victor Gustaa Manoppo, the plan to achieve salt self-sufficiency has been designed by the government in collaboration with salt farmers and industries.
Indonesia aims to achieve
"As part of the plan, the ministry has also identified potential areas for salt pond development, including one in Indramayu, West Java," he said in a statement issued on Saturday.
Indramayu Regency has been chosen as the main center for infrastructure development, farmer training, and financing access.
The area of productive land in Indramayu in 2024 stood at 1,445.65 hectares, with total production recorded at 135,891.10 tons (productivity 94 tons/hectare).
Meanwhile, the current stock of 25 thousand tons is spread across the four sub-districts of Krangkeng, Losarang, Kandanghaur, and Patrol in the regency.
In addition to identifying potential production areas, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is encouraging technological innovation in the salt production process.
The use of the geomembrane method, for example, has been found to improve the quality and quantity of salt produced by local farmers.
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Starting this year, the ministry is hoping to make a breakthrough in terms of modeling the extensification of salt ponds in East Nusa Tenggara.
It is aiming to cover 2,500 hectares using conventional methods, but with the application of harvest mechanization.
It will also pursue intensification through the modernization of salt production technology, with the target of implementing the concentrated brine method over an area of 1,800 hectares in five provinces, including West Java.
"In 2024, people's salt production will reach 2.04 million tons, exceeding the production target of 2 million tons. It shows that the salt pond development program has gone according to plan," Manoppo informed.
With the support of technology, increased production capacity, and sustainable resource management, he said, the government is optimistic about achieving the target of salt self-sufficiency in time.
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"Our people's salt production already has good quality, we can compete with other countries, so in the future, we will no longer need to import," he noted.
As an initial step toward building self-sufficiency, the government has decided not to import consumption salt in 2025.
The need for national salt raw materials in 2024 and 2025 has been estimated at 4.9 million tons, and it is expected to increase by 2.5 percent per year due to population growth and growth in the industrial sector.
The domestic production target for 2025 is 2.25 million tons. If added to the remaining stock of 836 thousand, the local salt supply would be sufficient to meet 63 percent of the total need.
"The rest is certainly a big and promising business opportunity for raw material salt producers, both smallholder salt farmers and business entities," he explained.
