On March 6, the People's Committee of Bac Lieu province coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to organize the opening ceremony of "Vietnam Salt Festival - Bac Lieu 2025".

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha said that the Vietnam Salt Festival was held in Bac Lieu - where the salt industry was formed and developed more than 100 years ago.

This is a big event with many meaningful activities, from displaying unique salt products, introducing technical advances in production to seminars discussing how to apply science and technology to adapt to climate change.

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Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha: The Government, ministries, sectors and localities are committed to working with people to find new directions so that salt can become a product of high economic value. Photo: Huu Tho

“The festival is an opportunity to honor salt farmers who ‘carry the sun and rain’ to create salt grains with a salty taste, while promoting and attracting investment to enhance the value of ‘pearls of the sea’. The government, ministries, sectors and localities are committed to working with people to find new directions so that salt grains can become products of high economic value, a source of pride for the Vietnamese people,” said Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, as a coastal country, Vietnam has natural advantages to develop the salt production and processing industry. Currently, the salt industry creates jobs for about 12,000 households in coastal areas.

Domestic salt products have gradually built brands and geographical indications such as: De Gi salt (Binh Dinh), Sa Huynh salt (Quang Ngai); Ba Ria salt (Ba Ria - Vung Tau)... exported to markets in Europe, America, Japan, and Korea.

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Salt farmers in Bac Lieu produce salt. Photo: Tran Tuyen

“Bac Lieu - the land known as the salt capital of Vietnam with more than 1,400 hectares, annual output up to tens of thousands of tons. The province is not only the largest salt producer in the country, but also a place to preserve a unique cultural feature”, Mr. Tran Hong Ha emphasized.

The Deputy Prime Minister suggested that Bac Lieu should not only stop at salt making, but also combine with tourism and cultural development, turning salt fields into attractive destinations; have its own financial policies to support salt farmers, especially have a fund to ensure risks in this industry; connect businesses, scientists, markets with people.

Mr. Pham Van Thieu - Chairman of Bac Lieu Provincial People's Committee - said that the salt making industry has been facing many challenges, affecting productivity, quality, and market competition factors, making salt prices very unstable and often low...

This leads to lower income from salt making compared to other occupations, affecting the preservation and conservation of the local traditional salt making profession. Therefore, it requires attention, investment and support for the salt making profession towards diversifying products, not only for eating salt but also for beauty, medicinal salt and salt for industrial production.