Indonesia Surpasses Salt Production Target, Eyes Self-Sufficiency for 2025

TheIndonesia.id - Indonesia's salt production has exceeded expectations for 2024, reaching 2.04 million tons, surpassing the target of 2 million tons set by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

As reported by Antara Indonesian News Agency, at a press conference on Friday, Victor Gustaaf Manoppo, the Director General of Marine and Marine Space Management, highlighted that this achievement supports the government's commitment to ending salt imports by 2025.

Manoppo emphasized that the government, led by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, is focused on achieving salt self-sufficiency. While edible salt imports will be phased out by 2025, industrial salt imports will continue to meet national demand.

In the years ahead, the government plans to enhance salt production, aiming to meet 30-50% of its industrial salt needs domestically. Manoppo expressed hope that imports for industrial use will cease by 2027.

Currently, Indonesia still imports salt to meet demands in three key sectors: the chlor-alkali industry (1.7 million tons annually), general industries like pharmaceuticals and food (500,000 tons), and reserve stock (800,000 tons).

To move toward self-sufficiency, the Ministry will focus on improving regulations and revitalizing salt-producing areas, with plans to expand from 100 hectares in 2025 to 900 hectares by 2030. Additionally, a pilot project in East Nusa Tenggara is set to launch next year to boost local salt production.

Manoppo reaffirmed the government's dedication to achieving food self-sufficiency, including salt, by 2027, beginning with the development of the East Nusa Tenggara salt production center.