BFAR moves to revive dying salt industry

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is reviving the dying salt industry in the country with the allocation of P200 million to finance the program in 23 various salt producing areas.

Nazario Briguera, BFAR spokesperson, said half of the amount was allocated in 2022 under the Development of the Salty Industry Project and the other half was included in this year’s budget to fund the program.

Based on data, 93 percent of the country’s current salt requirements are being outsourced and only seven percent comes from local salt producers. But in the 1980s, almost 85 percent of the salt requirement was sourced locally while only 15 percent came from imports.

The change was attributed to the passage of Republic Act No. 8172 or Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide in 1995 that mandated all producers and manufacturers of food-grade salt to iodize the salt they produce.

“But due to various challenges such as limited support services and inability to comply with the new law, some salt producers either stopped or had a slowdown in their production,” BFAR pointed out.

Among the major salt producing areas in the country are Bulacan, Pangasinan, Occidental Mindoro, Las Piñas and Cavite.

But with funds, BFAR said it would revitalize the industry in all 23 identified salt-producing areas in the country.

These include Alaminos, Infanta, Dasol and San Fabian in Pangasinan; Paoay and Burgos in Ilocos Norte; Narvacan, Sto. Domingo and Sta. Catalina in Ilocos Sur; Bangar and Luna in La Union; Kawit and Noveleta in Cavite; Lobo and Calatagan in Batangas; Atimonan in Quezon; the cities of Isabela and Zamboanga; and the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Zambales, Bulacan, Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Guimaras, Iloilo, Bohol, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur and Basilan.

The budget covers the distribution of postharvest materials, upgrading all the storage facilities and establishing technology demonstration.