Mon State’s sun-dried salt businesses, which have suffered losses as a result of the disastrous rains, are finding it difficult to produce sun-dried salt this year due to the untimely rains, the salt farmers told Than Lwin Times.

Sun-dried salt farmers have faced losses in the last two consecutive years due to untimely rains driven by climate change, as well as skyrocketing fuel prices and high general expenses after the military coup.

Currently, salt farmers are concerned that the continuous rains during the third week of November may reduce the amount of salt production during this year’s salt season.

A salt farmer lamented, “We are already depressed. It has been raining all month. I’m upset because of climate change. I don’t know if we salt farmers will get salt this year”.

In Mon State, the production of sun-dried salt starts in October every year, and this year, some salt farmers have stopped working due to the steep increase in input costs and labor shortages.

According to a salt farmer, the cost of preparing the salt field to produce sun-dried salt increased due to untimely rains.

The sun-dried salt is primarily produced in Paung, Thanbyuzayat and Ye Townships in Mon State, with over 40,000 tons of salt produced each year.

But last year, only about 20,000 tons of salt were produced due to untimely rains destroying the salt fields. The salt from Mon State is being exported to various regions and states, including Mandalay and Yangon.