For Bac Lieu salt farmers to "live" with salt grains: Solutions for sustainable development (Part 2)

Although there has been investment and new steps towards sustainable development of the salt making industry in Bac Lieu. However, to improve living standards and get rich from the salt making industry, there needs to be specific and fundamental solutions. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will invest in 10 canals through the forest, leading irrigation water to Ia Mor, Chu Prong district (Gia Lai) to irrigate more than 2,000 hectares of crops, helping people in the area grow rice 2-3 crops/year. This is good news for the people, a "push" for this border area to ensure food security, promote economic development, and improve people's lives. On the morning of March 28, at the Presidential Palace, right after the official welcoming ceremony, President Luong Cuong held talks with Brazilian President Lula da Silva. Although there has been investment and new steps towards sustainable development of the salt making industry in Bac Lieu. However, to improve living standards and get rich from the salt industry, there must be specific and fundamental solutions. On March 28, Ms. Quach Kieu Mai, Deputy Director of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions of Ca Mau province, said that the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ca Mau province has just issued a document requesting the Fatherland Front, departments, branches, unions at all levels, People's Committees of districts and Ca Mau city to organize well the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year of the Khmer ethnic people in 2025. From March 20, 2025, having a third child will no longer be the basis for disciplinary action against party members. The new guidelines of the Central Inspection Commission have marked an important adjustment in population policy, in line with the current practical situation. On March 28, the People's Council of Thai Nguyen province, term XIV, 2021 - 2026, held the 27th Session (Special Session) to review and decide on many important contents. On March 28, the People's Committee of Khanh Son district (Khanh Hoa) held a conference to announce the Decision approving the project "Construction planning of Khanh Son district, Khanh Hoa province to 2030, vision to 2050". General news of the Ethnic and Development Newspaper. The morning news of March 25, there is the following notable information: Quang Nam issues land support policies for ethnic minorities. Vietnam's ancient cathedral has new tiles. Farmers voluntarily ask to leave poverty, become billionaires. Along with other news in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. According to the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Health Insurance, effective from July 1, people participating in Health Insurance (HI) will have more benefits, including the provision of health insurance examination and treatment regardless of administrative geography and patients are entitled to health insurance when meeting the prescribed conditions... In recent years, people of all religions living and working in Ho Chi Minh City have made many practical contributions to local movements, joining hands to build Ho Chi Minh City rich and beautiful, with humanity. Information from the Institute of Geophysics, at 1:20 p.m. on March 28 (Vietnam time), a 7.3-magnitude earthquake occurred in Myanmar. The earthquake caused houses to shake in the city. Ho Chi Minh City, many people living in high-rise apartments fled in panic. This was the issue discussed at the Scientific and Practical Workshop organized by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-USSH) in collaboration with VNFund, MCG Company, Vietnam Women's Newspaper and businesses on the afternoon of March 27, attracting the participation of scientists from universities, research institutes, and managers from many businesses. On the morning of March 28, at the Presidential Palace, President Luong Cuong presided over the welcoming ceremony for President Lula da Silva on a State visit to Vietnam.

To make the salt industry grow sustainably, we need to focus on building cooperative economic models.

Towards chain-based production

In his opening speech at the Vietnam Salt Festival - Bac Lieu 2025, which took place on March 6, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized that coastal localities, especially those with conditions and traditions of salt making (including Bac Lieu), need to pay more attention to supporting the development of the salt production industry and the value chain of products closely related to salt.

Experts say that in order for the salt industry to develop sustainably, the salt market to be stable, and there to be no more unstable prices depending on traders, salt farmers need to eliminate the mindset and practice of small-scale, fragmented production. Instead, they should boldly participate in collective economic forms such as cooperative groups (THT) and cooperatives (HTX) to receive support from the State with policies, especially production according to a chain from input to output, with a commitment to consume all products. Thanks to that, salt farmers will be assured of production without having to worry that when the salt is harvested, there will be no one to buy it or the price will be forced down.

Mr. Ho Minh Chien (62 years old), Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dong Hai High-Tech Salt Production Service Cooperative, shared that the cooperative currently has 19 members, producing according to the household cooperative economic model. Since joining the cooperative, the members' lives have basically stabilized. Salt farmers who have the means to store salt and wait for the right time to sell it are more prosperous.

Mr. Ngo Nguyen Phong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Bac Lieu province, said: To increase the value of salt, it is necessary to focus on investing in building warehouses to store salt, and when the price is stable and profitable, then sell it. Through investment promotion, Bac Lieu province has found a number of foreign partners, such as China, to create links for salt consumption.

According to Mr. Ngo Nguyen Phong, the quality of salt produced must also be given top priority. Bac Lieu province has been orienting production in a way to gradually increase the quality of salt products from 3 stars to 4 stars, 4 stars to 5 stars. Currently, Bac Lieu is proposing to recognize 2 salt products that meet OCOP standards with 5 stars this year.

“If we want our products to be big enough, there is no other way than to produce them according to the cooperative economic model. Because by producing them in this way, salt farmers will be able to produce in a chain and have their products consumed. From there, the production value will gradually increase, but if we produce them on a small scale, the price will be unstable due to unstable output,” said Mr. Ngo Nguyen Phong.

Bac Lieu province orients salt production in a way to gradually increase product quality.

Diversify production forms to increase income

In the context of salt production with output that is too high, traders will force down the price, salt farmers in Bac Lieu have also researched, in addition to salt production, they also do many other things to earn income such as selling OT water (water in the field when it is about to crystallize into salt) to serve aquaculture seed production or actimia biomass farming for eggs (a type of egg-laying larvae serving the aquaculture seed production profession).

Mr. Ho Thanh Tuan, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Hai district, said that by selling OT water, many salt farmers have a stable income. However, the demand for OT water in the market is not high, so this type of production has not developed widely. Households that have purchasing contacts can sell at prices that are double or triple the price of salt. However, if everyone produces OT water, there will be no output, so it is necessary to determine consumer demand. When salt farmers diversify their production, their profits will be higher.

"On the same area, salt farmers diversify production types by adjusting production rules. Instead of producing 100% of the entire area as before, people set aside 10-20% of the area to do other things. At that time, salt production is at a moderate level, salt prices will automatically be balanced, without losing value. Low supply is the reason for salt price increase, but the main thing is still depending on traders," Mr. Ho Thanh Tuan analyzed.

Diversifying production methods is a way to help salt farmers increase their income (In photo: Bac Lieu salt farmers in the salt harvest season)

According to the Dong Hai district agricultural sector, after the harvest, many salt farmers have taken advantage of the salt production area to raise aquatic products to earn more income in the remaining months of the year. Thus, the income from the salt crop alone is not high, but the total income for the whole year (salt is only produced in 6 sunny months), the salt farmers' income is also significant. Using that to compensate, that is why the salt industry can be maintained.

At the workshop “Orientation and solutions for developing Bac Lieu salt tourism products” held on March 7, Mr. Le Dinh Minh Thy, Director of Vietravel Can Tho Branch, also analyzed that the salt making profession in Bac Lieu has potential for tourism development.

Bringing salt production into tourism not only helps preserve the craft village but also creates unique tourism products. Thereby, contributing to increasing income for the people. However, the locality needs to solve challenges such as improving service quality, training human resources and protecting the environment. In particular, to do tourism, it is necessary to invest in models and infrastructure first.

For the salt industry to develop sustainably, the most important factor is to have businesses invest in the salt sector. When there are businesses investing, the price of salt will naturally increase, and the services that come with salt production will also help people stabilize their lives. However, to have businesses invest, there must be an open mechanism to attract...

For Bac Lieu salt farmers to 'live' with salt grains: The story of prices (Part 1)

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/de-diem-dan-bac-lieu-song-duoc-voi-hat-muoi-giai-phap-cho-su-phat-trien-ben-vung-bai-2-1743137222242.htm