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)