The price of salt has risen this year but middlemen, rather than farmers, have benefited.— Photo cafef.vn

HCM CITY — The price of salt has risen this year but middlemen, rather than farmers, have benefited.

According to Bạc Liêu Province’s Agriculture and Rural Developemt Department, the price of salt has doubled in comparison with early this year.

However, farmers are not enjoying profits from the price increase because 43,000 tonnes of salt are being kept at dealers’ stores.

Nguyễn Văn Khởi, a salt maker in Điền Hải Commune, Đông Hải District said: “Dealers bought all the salt right after harvesting. We have recognised that they bought at a lower price than the market, but we needed money to live and had nowhere to keep the salt.”

The price gap is estimated at around 30 per cent.

There are few salt makers who have a big enough storage and enough money to be able to keep their salt after harvesting. Most produce on a small plot of land,  have no place to store salt and therefor often have to accept a low price offered by the dealers.

The price of salt fluctuates and is often not enough for the farmers to live on. Many households have to do other jobs besides making salt.

Nguyễn Trường Hận, head of the Đông Hải District’s Agriculture and Rural Development Sub-department explained that the salt price has increased because Bạc Liêu Province decided to reduce the salt making area.

“Only dealers benefit from the price hike,” he said.

The price hike also happened in the southern province of Ninh Thuận, the biggest salt maker in the region with 3,600ha in cultivation.

For the last few months, unusual rains have reduced the supply of salt and increased the price. Dealers who recognised the situation bought at a low price and now earn a big profit.

In Ninh Thuận, salt makers can produce 50 tonnes for each hectare if the weather is favourable. — VNS