New Delhi – The price of salt remains up to 300 percent higher from rates prior to Cyclone Nargis, which destroyed over 60 percent of the salt industry in Burma's Irrawaddy Delta, according to salt producers.
While the prices of salt immediately after the storm rose to 800 kyat from 100 kyat (1 dollar = 1,200 kyat) per viss (approximately 1.5 kg), the prices gradually declined in the following months as salt from Arakan and Mon States entered the market.
However, the rise in the price of salt halted at the rate of about 400 kyat per viss some six months after the storm, salt businessmen said.
"Even 400 kyat per viss is still a large price rise compared to the normal price. But, the price of salt has halted at this rate now after Nargis," an official at the Burma Salt Industry Association told Mizzima.
A salt businessman in Rangoon's Nyaungpinlay market said, "Last year, the salt price was just about 150 kyat per viss, but now it has risen about three-fold to 450 kyat per viss."
According to a salt businesswoman in the Irrawaddy Delta town of Laputta, one of the worst hit regions, the cyclone killed hundreds of salt industry workers and destroyed over 60 per cent of the industry, leaving the salt industry in shambles and the road to recovery a long and daunting process.
"We lost all salt fields in the storm and lost more than 180 workers. And with the scarcity of raw materials after Nargis, the price of salt is increasing," she explained.
With the decline of salt production from the Irrawaddy Division, people are more dependent on salt produced in other regions of the country, such as Arakan and Mon States, she added.
"We have to buy salt from Arakan State and resell it here," said the Laputta businesswoman.
Burma's state-run newspaper, Kyemon, on September 11 said Cyclone Nargis had destroyed over 23,458 acres of salt fields, 24,214 tons of salt stock and killed hundreds of salt industry workers, besides the extensive damage to machinery involved in the salt industry.
Salt production is the third largest business of the Irrawaddy Delta and is mainly carried out in Pyapon, Laputta, Myaungmya and Ngapudaw Townships.
The government, in the newspaper, said rehabilitation work for salt industry will commence come October.
