Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 25)— The Philippines might import as much as 96 percent of its salt requirements by 2030 unless local production ramps up to meet increasing demand, a group of salt producers warned Tuesday.
The Philippine Association of Salt Industry Networks (PhilASIN) appealed for government support in boosting local salt production during the House Committee on Agriculture and Food’s deliberation on House Bill 1976 or the proposed Philippine Salt Industry Development Act.
PhilASIN president Gerard Khonghun said that the Philippines imported 628,500 metric tons, or equivalent to 92 percent of the country’s salt requirements in 2019 and 2020, since local production was unable to meet demand.
More than 70 percent of the country’s salt imports came from Australia, with other sources including Thailand and China.
“The [forecast] annual importation by 2030 is about 1.3 million tons worth P6 billion. At that point, if we do nothing, if we don’t pass this measure or the country doesn’t have a strategy, by that time in 2030, we’ll have 96 percent imported salt,” Khonghun said.
PhilASIN blamed urbanization for the dwindling local salt production, with Khonghun saying that many salt farms in Cavite, Las Piñas City, Parañaque City, Bulacan and Iloilo have been converted into residential, commercial or industrial areas.
“Maybe some of our people would recall that many decades ago, these areas were having lots of salt production. But these have now been converted without replenishing, without approving new areas for salt making,” Khonghun told lawmakers.
Even though the Philippines has 36,000 kilometers of shoreline, the fifth longest in the world, Khonghun said the country trails behind Vietnam when it comes to salt production.
According to data shared by PhilASIN, the Philippines only produced less than 60,000 MT of salt compared to Vietnam’s 1.180 million MT. This could be attributed to Vietnam’s larger area for salt making, with its salt farms covering 12,000 hectares, compared to only 2,100 hectares occupied by Philippine salt makers.
PhilASIN puts the Philippines’ salt demand at 983,000 MT annually.
Khonghun said that investing in new salt farms is crucial to boost local production. He said the industry will also need the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ support in securing an estimated 18,888 hectares to manufacture the volume of salt needed to meet demand.
HB 1976 authored by Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo tasks the government to provide technical, physical, and financial assistance to salt farmers, including artisanal salt farmers, to develop and improve their craft.
Should it be passed into law, the government will also be mandated to invest in the identification and construction of salt farms for lease to qualified salt manufacturers.
The House Committee on Agriculture and Food has created a technical working group to discuss the bill in detail.
CNN Philippines correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
