The shortfall in salt in the country will be solved soon with the weather turning out to be favourable for production at all salterns, a top official of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce said.
Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security R.M. Jayawardhana said the Government had already imported around 14,000MT of salt of the planned 30,000MT to bridge the shortfall.
“We are expecting the balance to reach the country within the next two weeks,” the Deputy Minister said.
The annual salt production of the country is around 180,000MT but due to unfavourable weather, only around 120,000MT was produced last year triggering a shortfall of about 80,000MT.
“Salt production across all salterns will resume as the weather is turning out to be favourable,” the Deputy Minister said.
However, industry experts said despite being an island, the country was forced to import salt.
This is the first time in over a decade that salt had to be imported exposing the country’s fragile supply chain.
The shortage of salt leaving shelves empty in shops and supermarkets compelled the authorities to import 30,000 MT to stabilise the market.
Salt which is a flavour enhancer is a basic necessity in every kitchen.
The price of salt rose sharply in recent days owing to a drastic supply constraint in the market.
The shortage of salt was largely blamed on excessive rainfall in 2023 and 2024 that disrupted traditional salt production.
Lanka Salt Ltd. (LSL), which supplies 70% of the country’s salt requirement, reported a sharp decline in production from 94,000 MT in 2023 to 40,000 MT in 2024.
