The Government has taken steps to open tenders for the import of 30,000 metric tonnes (MT) of salt from today (3).

The import of salt will take place under two phases, where 20,000 MT of salt will be imported under the first phase and 10,000 MT of salt will be imported to the island under its second phase. Accordingly, the tenders will be opened for the import of 20,000 MT of salt from today.

Meanwhile, it was reported that the imported salt will be distributed under the supervision of the Ministry of Industries and that the imported salt will only be utilised for industrial purposes.

On 19 December 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the import of up to 30,000 MT of non-iodised salt by the State Trading (General) Corporation to address the ongoing salt shortage in the market.

Recently, the Chairperson of the Lanka Salt Company in Hambantota, T. Nandana Thilaka urged the public to avoid panic-buying and hoarding salt amidst rumours of a shortage, reassuring the public that the Hambantota Lanka Salt Company currently has 6,000 MT of salt in stock, sufficient to last until January 2025.

However, Thilaka announced that development activities for the Jaffna salt pans are set to commence by mid-January 2025, with production expected to begin by March 2025.

Earlier, in December 2024, the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development launched an investigation into a reported decline in salt production within the country.

The salt production companies had submitted reports indicating a 40% drop in output over the past two years, citing adverse weather conditions as the primary cause. It was reported that the decline has already impacted the availability of salt locally.