Salt farmers said that they could not yet start their solar salt production in Mon State even two months after the usual start of the salt production season because of untimely monsoon rain in their region, prompting difficulties.

The usual solar salt production season starts in October and ends in May every year but after the series of untimely monsoon rains in the region they cannot start their production properly as of the end of December and early January.

A salt farmer said that delay in salt production would cause the rise of the salt price produced in the last season and because of rising costs in their production of the salt the farmers must get at least 300 kyats per viss (approx. 1.5 Kg) in the new season to obtain a profit.

The current price of salt in the market rose to 270 kyats per viss from 200 kyats as the farmers could not produce the solar salt even though the salt production season had started.

The salt farmers are worrying about falling price of their products as the price falls every year when the new salt enters the market.

The solar salt is produced in Mon State mainly in Thanphyuzayat, Paung and Yay Townships and the annual production is about 425,000 tons. This supply it typically distributed in Karen State and the Tanintharyi and Mandalay Regions.