• Stakeholders blame negligence on the part of salterns 

In the restaurant that he co-owns in Ratnapura, Duleepa Madusanka stands over a simmering pot, preparing a dish for his clients. The simple act of cooking meals was something he had done thousands of times as a chef, but recently, it had become more complicated. 

Salt, a basic yet essential ingredient, had become difficult to find, and then a rise in price. Without salt, we all know that the food has no flavour, and the delicate balance of seasoning that transforms a meal into something special is lost.

The Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development recently announced that it would address the reported decline in salt production in the country. According to a spokesperson, salt companies have reported a 40% drop in output between 2022 and last year (2024), primarily due to adverse weather conditions. 

In response, the ministry assured the public that immediate steps would be taken to investigate the matter and to implement measures to address the shortfall. To mitigate the shortage, salt companies had requested Government approval to import salt. Following these requests, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the import of up to 30,000 metric tonnes (MT) of non-iodised salt through the State Trading (General) Corporation to stabilise the market.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, National Consumer Front (NCF) leader Asela Sampath blamed the Government for not keeping its recent promise to import salt despite announcements. He said that government representatives had claimed that salt would be imported to address the ongoing shortage, but that no imports have happened yet. 

He also said that the long-standing failure of successive governments to establish a proper plan for salt production has caused a decline in production over the years. 

“Sri Lanka has more than enough resources and facilities to produce the salt that we need. The relevant authorities were only working to produce enough to meet the country’s demand, and no salt was exported although there is a clear possibility to do so. Now we have reached a situation where we cannot even produce the quantity that the country needs. If climate change such as rainfall has affected salt production as claimed by certain authorities, the officials in charge of salterns must take the responsibility,” he said.

Adding that such officials are paid salaries and enjoy various benefits, he said that they have a duty to properly handle challenges and ensure that production does not suffer due to any factor. He added that every government talks about the need to boost domestic production when they come into power, but that none of them have taken meaningful action or implemented programmes to make it a reality.

Former Chairperson of the Lanka Salt Limited in Hambantota, attorney Nishantha Sandabarana said that Sri Lanka annually needs around 120,000 MT of salt for consumption. Of this, he said that 60% is supplied by the Hambantota Saltern, while the remaining 40% comes from salterns in other areas such as Puttalam. 

“The Government is going to import salt as the production is not enough. If a country like Sri Lanka, surrounded by the Ocean, has to import salt, it is an unfortunate situation. The current Government cannot be blamed for this issue. Usually, salt production takes about six months. It has not been six months since the Government took office. So, they cannot be blamed for this. But, they will have to bear the responsibility if the production continues to be low. However, it is unacceptable to blame weather conditions such as rain for the lack of salt production. Over the years, even during my tenure, there were natural disasters, but salt production still continued. 

When the MV X-Press Pearl ship fire took place in 2021, it caused fear among people about consuming salt, but I assured the public through the media that there was no need to worry. By that time, we had produced enough salt to meet the country’s demand for a year,” he said. 

Speaking further, Sandabarana said that there are certain wrong approaches that are being followed in salt production in the country. Like in agriculture, he said that the salt production is also divided into two seasons, Yala and Maha, but added that salt production should not have such specific seasons. 

“There is a common belief that salt should only be produced before the rainy season, but that is not practical. When I was there, I always said that salt production should happen throughout the year, regardless of the season. There are effective methods to minimise the impact of rain on salt production. During my time, we used those methods to ensure that production continued even during the rainy season. What we should do is adopt these strategies instead of limiting salt production to specific times of the year. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we did not stop operations of salterns,” he said, further explaining. 

He added that salt pans produce several valuable by-products. For example, gypsum and caustic soda can be made from saltpeter. However, instead of utilising these resources locally, he said that such substances are currently imported, spending the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

Commenting on the issue, another consumer rights activist Sanjeewa Dhammika said that Sri Lanka even has the potential to export salt, but, to do that, there is a need to create a surplus. 

“There are large extents of land in sea areas that can be used for salt production. But, no government has paid attention to expanding salt production. They only work with the intention of achieving the local demand for salt. There will be no difficulties in expanding salt production as there are many investors who would be willing to get in. Even if there are no investors, the Government can do it on its own. If salt production is expanded and salt is imported, it will bring more revenue and also create job opportunities,” Dhammika said. 

Adding to his comments, Sandabarana said that efforts should focus on increasing salt production to achieve a surplus. He added that the Hambantota Saltern still has a jetty that was once used by large ships for salt exports. In the past, he said that export of salt was a significant source of income for the country.

Chef Duleep Madusanka from Ratnapura shared his recent experience with the salt and rice shortages, noting that although both salt and rice are now available, prices have surged. He said that rumours of shortages usually cause panic buying, leading to temporary shortages. 

“There should be practical measures to prevent hoarding, and the Government should at least focus on essential goods like rice and salt, as both are facing supply issues at present. Currently, a kilo of red rice is priced at Rs. 300 per kilo in Ratnapura, despite the control price being lower. Some shops are selling rice without issuing bills as they sell at higher prices. All this happens as there is no proper mechanism. The Consumer Affairs Authority may come and initiate legal action against some shops, but it will not provide a solution at all. They will pay the fine, and commit the same offence again and again as the fine is usually lower than the profit that they earn,” he said.

As the Cabinet of Ministers approval has been granted to import salt, The Daily Morning queried Sri Lanka Customs Spokesperson, Additional Director General Seevali Arukgoda as to whether they had been informed of any arrangement to import salt, he said that the they would be informed of such, only when the initial arrangements are made. 

“Customs is not involved in initial affairs. The Government makes the decision, lifts the import restrictions, and the importers then place orders. It is when shipments arrive that the Customs gets involved in it,” he said. 

When queried if there is any restriction on the importation of salt at present, he said: “Yes, as it is manufactured in Sri Lanka, salt cannot be imported without a licence.”

When contacted by The Daily Morning to inquire about the latest situation with regard to the salt issue, General Manager of the National Salt Limited, under which several salterns such as those at Elephant Pass and Mannar comes, M.J.T. Manzil declined to comment. “If you need a comment, it should be obtained from the Ministry Secretary. He is the authorised person to give any news to the media.”

Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe and Ministry Secretary K.A. Wimalenthirarajah were not available for comment.