Iodized salt prices to soar

Iodized salt prices to soar

SEMARANG, Central Java: The price of iodized salt is expected
to rise by about 40 percent as of this month from its current
price of Rp 160 (U.S. 7 cents) per kilogram, a local official
says.

Secretary of the Central Java chapter of the Association of
Iodized Salt Producers, Nuri Handayani, said that the increase is
due to the shift from the dry to the wet season in salt producing
areas.

In the rainy season, large portions of the salt producers'
fields on Central Java's northern coast are covered with water,
resulting in lower production, she said as reported by Antara.

Central Java's major salt producing areas are Tegal, Brebes,
Pekalongan, Kendal, Semarang, Pati, Rembang, and Lasem. The
province produces about 430 tons of iodized salt per day.

Sixty percent of the province's iodized salt is exported to
West Sumatra, Lampung, Jakarta, West Java, South Kalimantan,
Irian Jaya and other provinces, while the remaining 40 percent is
for local consumption," Nuri said. (imn)