Favorable weather this year had a positive impact on salt production, meaning Cambodia will not need to import salt from abroad, as it had to a few years ago, according to insiders in the salt production industry.

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology forecasted that the weather in 2024 will be warmer than in 2023, with a longer dry season.

On January 12, the ministry announced that after monitoring conditions, it expects temperatures to fluctuate sharply from now until May, predicting average maximums of 37 degrees Celsius, peaking at around 41C in April and early May.

It stated that unexpected light showers may occur during the dry season due to a weak southwest monsoon, which is expected to delay the onset of the rainy season compared to 2023.

Kampot and Kep provinces are the Kingdom’s salt production hub, with Kampot-Kep salt officially recognised as a Geographical Indication (GI) product by the government in April 2023. Last year, the salt marsh area in both provinces remained similar to 2022, covering 4,748ha.

In Kampot, nearly 80,000 tonnes of salt were harvested in 2023, while Kep produced about 3,000 tonnes.

Production, yields increased

Phok Sokhen, director of the Kep provincial Department of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, told The Post on January 31 that the hotter weather this year is progressively yielding positive results for salt production.

He said the salt harvested in Kep is currently around 300 tonnes, a significant increase compared to the same period of 2023.

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Author: Hin Pisei

Publication Date: 31 January 2024

Source: The Phnom Penh Post