Salt harvesting begins

By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe   

After a year long season of heavy rain, the dry weather experienced at present has been favourable to the salt industry in the Puttalam District. Salt Producers’ Association in Puttalam expressed satisfaction about the prevailing weather conditions that permitted the salt harvest.   

President of the Salt Producers’ Association Badurdeen Raniz said the incessant rain experienced throughout last year brought the salt industry in the country to a standstill with the salterns being submerged with floods. This resulted in the import of salt from India.   

He pointed out that more than 10,000 people who depended on the salt industry lost their livelihood.   

Raniz further said the Puttalam District meets more than 45 percent of the country’s total requirement of salt and that it increased to 50 percent at times. He said he is hopeful that10,000 metric tons of salt will be harvested for the market soon.