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Indian salt industry: an introduction

In India, with the development of an organized salt industry under the

department of salt(which comes under the direct control of central

government)

Various enhancements have been achieved in the following respects:

Salt yield per acre Salt quality to the extent of export Production methods

Local salt trading and price fixation Monitoring and control of salt production,trading and export Forecasting and setting the production targets based on both

natural and commercial factor

Governments measures coupled with technical advancements in

such areas as production, refining, forecasting, logistics, etc has

facilitated to increase considerably the volume of salt productionand refinement of ordinary, refined and iodized salt, various

government and private sector organizations in the country have

initiated efforts to develop appropriate technologies besides

engaging in the related research and development .

There are about 13000 salt manufacturers engaged in production of

Common salt in an extent of about 5.50 lakh acres in the Country. It is

estimated that 90 per cent of the total number of salt manufacturers are

small salt producers (having an individual extent of less than 10 acres

for salt manufacture), 5.5% is large scale producers (having an

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individual extent of more than 100 acres) and 4.5 % is medium scale

producers (having an individual extent between 10 and 100 acres)

Average Annual Production of Salt in India is 176 lakh toneswhereas ever high production of 199 lakh tones was recorded during

2005 followed by 181 lakh tonnes during 2006. Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and

Rajasthan are surplus Salt producing States accounting for about 96 per

cent of the Countrys production. Gujarat contributes 76 per cent to the

total production, followed by Tamil Nadu (12 %) and Rajasthan (8%).

The rest 4% production comes from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra,

Orissa, Karnataka, West Bengal, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Diu &

Daman. On an average 62% of the total production is from Large salt

producers followed by small scale producers (36%) and rest by medium

scale producers

The average annual supplies of salt for human consumption is

about 57 lakh tones and that for industrial consumption is about 83 lakh

tones; 57% of the salt for human consumption moves by rail and 43 %

by road. 89% of the salt for industrial consumption moves by road, 7 %

by rail and 4% by coastal shipment to various industries; when the total

indigenous supplies is taken, 69 per cent moves by road, 27% moves by

rail and 3% by sea

India exports surplus production of salt to the tune of about

25 lakh tonnes on an average; During the year 2005, a record export of

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38 lakh tonnes was achieved primarily due to surge of demand from

China. Other major countries importing salt from India are Japan,

Bangladesh, Indonesia, South Korea, North Korea, Malaysia, U.A.E.,

Vietnam, etc.

Government of India has adopted the strategy of Universal

Salt Iodisation and Consumption for elimination of Iodine Deficiency

Disorders (IDD) in the country under the National Iodine Deficiency

Disorders Control Programme(NIDDCP). Iodine is supplemented in the

diet through Iodised Salt for combating IDD. The Programme was

started in 1962 initially confining to Goitre endemic areas but after 1984

it was implemented throughout the country. Thus as on date a

significant progress has been made on Universal Salt Iodisation. The

country produces about 50 lakh tones of Iodised salt and about 49 lakh

tones of iodised salt is supplied for human consumption against the

requirement of about 54 lakh tones for entire population. The country

has created more than adequate salt iodisation capacity of over 110 lakh

tones.

Salt Industry is labour intensive in the country. About 1.4 lakh

labourers are employed daily in the Salt Industry on an average. Salt

Commissioners Organisation has put in place a number of Labour

Welfare Schemes ameliorating the working and living conditions of salt

labourers.

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