The price of salt at the fishery level is only Rp. 100 per kilogram. The idea of importing 3.07 million tons of salt is seen as a threat to fishermen or salt farmers. The import, which has just been verified by the government, is said to have caused the price of salt at the fishery level to decline to a level of Rp 100 to Rp 300 per kilogram (kg).
“The other day we arrived at Indramayu where the salt had not been harvested. Because they only buy Rp. 100 per kg, even under Rp. 100 per kg. It was really heartbreaking, after all they had been planting salt for 1-2 months.
And I don’t want to harvest them,” he said. This is the impact of importing salt,” said Witjaksono, General Chairperson of the Central Executive of the Nahdlatul Ulama Fishermen’s Union (NU), in a virtual meeting, Wednesday (24 March 2022).
With the price of salt at the fishery level only Rp. 100 per kilogram. According to him, it is difficult for fishermen to sell salt in the market. Therefore, the idea of importing salt is not viewed based on field conditions.
“After watching and hearing several salt farmers on the fields in Indramayu, Cirebon, West Java, East Java and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), they said they were sad about their salt production which was not absorbed by the market,” said Witjaksono.
He explained that the good price for salt at the fishery level is IDR 700-1,000 per kg. The problem is that the price of imported salt is at that distance.
“Our calculations show that the price of our salt is Rp 700-1,000 per kg. Currently, the price of our imported salt from China is an average of Rp. 1,500 per kg, for non-Chinese countries it is on average Rp. 1,000-1,500. per kg. “he explained.
Witjaksono explained that the import volume of salt must be equal to the domestic production target of 3.1 million tons as stated in the National Medium Period Development Idea (RPJMN) with a predicted demand of 4 million tons.
“The calculation of our internship data after entering 28 regional administrators and 355 branches throughout Indonesia, from Sabang to Merauke, until this year our imports are optimal at 1 million tons, no more. Because there are actually quite a lot, lots of stock with farmers,” said Witjaksono.
Because of this, his faction is really against the government’s idea of importing salt on a large scale and prioritizing the quantity and quality of salt production by fishermen.
“We are firmly against the import of 3 million tons of salt in 2022. Second, we urge the government to side with salt farmers and small residents, to contribute to increasing production, the salt area is up to 100,000 hectares.
Transfer management technology, carry out mechanization and modernization of salt cultivation and eradicate the search for salt mafia and salt import leases,” he said.
