Sittwe: Production of salt in the Irrawaddy Division has plummeted in the wake of Cyclone Nargis resulting in salt from Arakan State being in demand in Burma. Many tons of raw salt produced in Arakan is exported to Burma proper following the cyclone, a producer of salt said.

Earlier, the salt produced in Arakan State was exported to Bangladesh, through Mumgan Port in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan. Now, this salt is exported to Burma proper, especially to Rangoon, a salt trader said.

"Because salt production sites are damaged in the Irrawaddy Division, salt production has fallen. Because of this demand for salt from Arakan is now very high and is being exported to Burma proper. This is more than it used to be earlier,” he said.

Last year one viss of raw salt cost Kyat 700 in Burmese currency. This year, the same amount of such salt costs Kyat 230 in Rangoon, he added.

One viss of salt at the price of shipment to Rangoon is Kyat 20 and so it encourages salt exporters to continue exporting the salt through the Mumgan Port.

With the advent of monsoon, salt prices are likely to increase by as much as Kyat 700. So businessmen are purchasing salt from the towns of Kyaukpru, Minpya, Manaung, Mrebone and Pauktaw and storing it at Mumgan Port.

Arakan State is one of the highest salt producing regions in Burma. However, it cannot produce fine salt given the lack of technique related to manufacturing fine salt.