Unexpectedly lasting rain in March ruined completely 2,800 hectares of salt and forced 3,600 salt producing households in Bac Lieu Province to incur a complete loss.
Changing weather and salt import worry salt workers
Bad weather
Head of Diem Dien Co-operative's Group 7, based in Dong Hai District, said: “In the middle of March, salt-workers began to harvest, but nearly all the salt was dissolved by a long, unexpected rain during the dry season.”
Another member of the co-operative, Nguyen Thanh Tam said, “We were hopeful of a good yield when the weather was dry and sunny. But that weather didn't last. This year production was delayed for about two months because of rain. When it became dry, we thought that it was a good time to harvest, but the good weather just didn't hold out."
At the time, the delay in the salt harvest was not seen as an entirely bad thing, as it might have raised prices. However, after the Ministry of Industry and Trade imported 53,000 tonnes of salt, prices fell by about VND100 (USD0.004) per kilo.
The heavy rains on the three days from March 23 to 25 only made things worse.
Nguyen Van Dang, of Diem Dien Commune said, “I borrowed VND5 million (USD239.6) to invest in salt production operation in January, but the rains have ruined the entire harvest. Lasting rain seized all my salt. I borrowed another VND3 million (USD143.8) to restart, but the rain came again. Now I don't know how I will be able to repay my debts."
Nguyen Van Ut, Head of the Rural Development Division, under the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said, “2,800 hectares salt farms were affected, losing nearly 30,000 tonnes of salt. The most affected areas were in Dong Hai, Hoan Binh District, and Vinh Thinh Commune."
Policy problems
Salt harvesting has been a tradition in Bac Lieu Province for over 100 years. But since 1997 the management of salt production has been in the hands of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Ut said, “The biggest barrier for investment in the business here is the slow bureaucratic process, which delay production."
Because of these troubles, and the difficulties in finding a stable market, local authorities have decided to decrease the area of production by 800 hectares.
A VND31 billion (USD1.48 million) project to improve the quality of salt from Dien Hai Commune was given State funding 10 years ago. However, the project was not a success, and investments, including pumping stations and canals now sit unused.
Nguyen Truong Han, Head of Dong Hai District’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said, “We were unable to participate in the project, and our views were not taken into consideration when it was implemented. It was a waste of public money and the remains to be finished. Also, we are not able to transfer our land use licensing to change to any other kind of production.”
Long-term forecast
There have been efforts by the provincial Department of Science and Technology to develop the brand of salt from Bac Lieu. But the producers were not given sufficient instruction as to how to develop a trademark, and have had significant difficulty in finding their market.
If the rain forecasts are accurate, the salt farmers of Bac Lieu are in for a tough year. But the long-term problems facing them may be even more ominous than the weather.
Producers are often blamed for the low quality of their salt, because of their 'outdated' harvesting methods. On the other hand, this has been a traditional industry in the region for nearly a century and they are used to these methods.
