Sri Lanka to import salt starting tomorrow

The Government of Sri Lanka has taken steps to open tenders for the import of 30,000 Metric Tonnes of salt from tomorrow (03).

The import of salt will take place under two phases, where 20,000 Metric Tonnes of salt will be imported under the first phase and 10,000 Metric Tonnes of salt will be imported to the island under its second phase.

Accordingly, the tenders will be opened for the import of 20,000 Metric Tonnes of salt from tomorrow.

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 the industrial purposes.

On December 19, 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the import of up to 30,000 metric tons of non-iodized salt by the State Trading Corporation to address the ongoing salt shortage in the market.

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

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

Earlier in December last year, 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.