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We at The Indian Salt Manufacturers' Association thought that the Journal is due for a new look and content. Salt is a
serious matter, though many both inside and outside the Salt industry may think otherwise. Hence, we thought: no more
The important event that is coming up is the India-International Salt Summit planned for January 2010 at Ahmedabad.
A band of dedicated salt producers and representatives of Alkali Manufacturers are working hard to make the Summit
happen. Invitations have gone out and there is some good response from abroad. Those of us who were at Beijing for the
September 2009 Salt Symposium know that we may not match their pomp and show; but we are sure to make the Summit a
We also want to make the journal more informative and inform the readers about Salt industry in other countries,
To make the journal meaningful and informative, we need contributions from Salt technologists, refined Salt producers,
Consultants, government officers and even household consumers. We will gratefully acknowledge such contributions.
-ISMA, Mumbai
Contents
• An Update on Salt Industry in India
• Low Salt Diet a Danger for Elderly, Says Salt Manufacturers' Association, UK
• Salt consumption per capita (tons per person) in 17 of the 20 most populous countries in the world
India is a traditional salt producer from historical times. Salt is produced along the coast in the States of Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal by solar evaporation of sea brine or a
combination of sea brine and sub-soil brine. Salt is also produced from the sub-soil brines in the Little and Greater Rann of
Gujarat and the arid desert lands in Rajasthan. Sambhar Lake is the lone source of lake brine in India. Similarly, the Salt
mine at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh is exploited by Hindustan Salts Ltd., a Government of India Enterprise.
With just about 1.93 million tonnes of Salt in 1947, production of Salt in India has increased over the years to touch a
record figure of 18.97 million tons in 2005-06. About 75% of India's total production comes from the marine Salt works and
25% from Inland Salt sources (including Lake Salt and Rock Salt).
Gujarat State continues to contribute over 75% of the Salt produced in India. Tamil Nadu (12%) and Rajasthan (7-8%)
are the two other major Salt producing states. A major part of the Salt industry is in the private and cooperative sectors.
There are only 7 Public/Joint Sector undertakings engaged in the production of Salt. The total production of these seven
The following Table gives the figures of state-wise production of Salt in the country during the years 2005-06 to 2007-08.
the latter mainly by the Caustic Soda and Soda Ash units. The country has been exporting Salt to Japan, Vietnam, Kenya,
Indonesia and the UAE for industrial use and a small quantity to Nepal, Sri Lanka etc., for human consumption in the form of
The production of salt in the country is expected to touch 25 million tonnes once the large-scale export-oriented units
Salt Exports
Uttar
1 1.0 ... ... ...
Pradesh
There is still a lot of ambiguity about production of Salt in India. Is it an Industry? Or is it akin to farming? Does salt
production by solar evaporation amounts to mining and Salt a mineral? salt being a Central subject, at the Central level
"Salt" was once under the Ministry of Agriculture, although for a long time now it is tagged on to the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry. Under the circumstances, the following article by Aparna Pallavi in Dow to Earth makes an interesting reading.
Salt farmers
(By Aparna Pallavi , 30 August 2008 in Down to Earth (Available at http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/263727)
"While the Andhra Pradesh government is yet to recognize Salt makers as farmers, two recent government orders
mention 'salt making' as 'farming' and the 'Salt produced' as 'crop'. This has exulted Salt farmers in Andhra Pradesh's
Prakasam district."
"This is an important first step towards the official recognition that we demanded," says the Prakasam District Salt
Farmers' Forum (PDSFF). One of the government orders, issued on May 9, 2008, declares Rs 600 per acre (0.4 ha) as
compensation for "damage to Salt crop and Salt lands" due to heavy rains in February 2008. Though the compensation
amount is small compared to the damage, PDSFF says, this is for the first time words like "crop" and "farmers" have been
The second government order, dated June 6, 2008, offers a more definite triumph. It expressly orders the state
electricity department to consider small and marginal Salt farming at par with corporate farming in terms of tariff and provide
them the requisite subsidy in electricity charges. This means, if the order is implemented, Salt farmers in Andhra Pradesh
will pay just 90 paise per unit of electricity as opposed to Rs 3.75 per unit, which is at par with small industrial units.
Benefits of the orders are, however, yet to reach the Salt farmers. The compensation amount released by the
government is yet to reach mandala offices. The electricity department has written back to the government seeking
clarifications on.
"The recognition of Salt-making activity as 'farming' will enable small Salt farmers to claim facilities like free electricity,
crop loans, crop insurance and compensation which the government extends to the agriculture sector," says convener of
PDSFF, R Pothuraju".
The Orissa government plans to issue identity cards to the artisans in the coir sector and the Salt workers. A similar
Since there are a number of schemes being implemented by the government of India targeting the artisans and the
Salt workers, the issue of identity cards will help them to avail the benefits. "The benefits of various schemes can reach the
intended beneficiary if he is correctly identified", a senior official of the state industry department said. Sources said, the
actual artisans in the coir sector and the Salt workers can benefit from schemes like Namak Majdoor Awas Yojana (NMAY),
Rajiv Gandhi Swastha Vima Yojana (RGSVY) and Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY).
The NMAY envisages construction of 234 houses in Ganjam and 12 houses in Balasore. Besides, the handicraft
artisans are being covered under Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY) and Rajiv Gandhi Swastha Vima Yojana (RGSVY).
Under JBY, out of the annual premium of Rs 200, a sum of Rs 60 is contributed by the Development Commissioner
(Handicrafts), New Delhi, Rs 100 by the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and the remaining Rs 40 by the artisan being
covered. However, only 11,673 artisans have availed the benefit under the scheme.The state government has also decided
to launch a special drive to issue credit cards to more artisans in the handicraft sector. About 6840 cards were issued in the
ISMA's comment: Perhaps the Government of Gujarat and other Salt-producing States could take a leaf out of
Orissa's scheme in as much as the identification of Salt workers becomes important for passing on the benefits of
Government's schemes.
which are vital to the human organism as they favour exchanges between cells and extra-cellular spaces, help to distribute
water through the body and regulate blood pressure and volume.
Sodium helps to convey sensory impulses, balance water levels in the organism, and maintain arterial pressure and
blood balance. In addition, the salty taste and chlorine stimulate and trigger the production of saliva and gastric juices, which
In other words, the body needs Salt. Minimum daily need is estimated at around 2 grams per person. Man is at greater
risk of dehydration through lack of Salt than through lack of water. On the other hand, over-consumption of sodium chloride
also has its risks: high arterial blood pressure, heart disease, water retention, etc., not to mention a loss of taste. Hence the
need to eat food with a "normal", and not excessive, amount of Salt. The WHO recommends that we should not consume
more than 6 grams of Salt per day. Quantity is a question of common sense: used in reasonable quantities, Salt adds taste
Without Comment
Top
Low Salt Diet a Danger for Elderly, Says Salt Manufacturers' Association, UK (21 September 2004).A low Salt diet can
be extremely dangerous for elderly people, according to research by Professor Ingo F'sgen from the Department of
Geriatrics at the University of Witten-Herdecke in Germany. His conclusion supports claims made by the Salt Manufacturers'
Professor F'sgen presented his findings at the European Geriatrics Congress in Vienna, which ended yesterday
(September 19). They show that the symptoms of hyponatraemia (low sodium level in the blood), which are tiredness,
difficulty in concentrating and loss of balance, can develop into confusion and even coma if left untreated.
His studies show that up to 10 per cent of older people suffer from sub-acute sodium deficiency, which can result in
problems such as nervous disposition, hallucinations, muscle cramps and incontinence. Professor F'sgen explained;
"Sodium deficiency is common for elderly people but it is often not recognized. Many older people are not aware of the
danger of a low Salt diet and try to reduce their consumption of Salt because they assume it is healthy to do so."
According to a survey conducted by Professor F'sgen, as part of his research, 80 per cent of elderly people try to
consume Salt sparingly, thinking that too much Salt causes high blood pressure. Professor F'sgen maintains that a low Salt
"We said earlier this week that In the case of the elderly, cutting Salt might be dangerous, especially in the summer
months. Because they tend to drink less and are less acclimatised to hot weather, Salt lost through sweat is not replaced.
Their blood pressure rises, so putting added strain on their hearts," says the SMA's general secretary, Peter Sherratt. "We
remain convinced that the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are ignoring inconvenient evidence
in pursuit of a campaign that unfairly targets one of life's essentials. "They are ignoring the need for more conclusive
research and failing to make a proper assessment of the risks it could pose to some population groups."(Article URL:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/13793.php)
Europe's major Salt producer ESCO - European Salt Company has launched a new product: BALANCER Salt
complements the product range of food-grade and table salts of the market leader from Hanover, Germany, thus combining
BALANCER Salt consists of 50 per cent sodium chloride; the other half being combinations of the essential minerals
"We have great hopes of our new product because it has achieved top voting in numerous blind tests. First reactions
from industry and retail trade have been very promising," reports Marlies Heinricher-Woltran, esco Product Manager.
Also in packaging design esco is trying out new avenues. BALANCER Salt for end consumers comes in a high-quality
300 grams shaker, while the food industry and manufacturers are supplied with 25 kg bags. The market for sodium-reduced
products is still rather small and took shape only in the past few years, starting in Great Britain and the Nordic countries.
More and more countries are now elaborating dietetics programs following the objective to reduce the overall daily Salt
intake. This is because of the assumption that people are consuming too much sodium in general, which has never been
proved by research. BALANCER Salt addresses all health-conscious consumers who want to cut down their daily intake of
China Denies Rumours of Salt Shortages, Price Hikes(Xinhua News Agency, 24 June 2009)
Chinese officials and Salt producers have denied rumours of Salt price hikes, which led to panic buying in parts of the
country. A notice released Wednesday on the website of the China National Salt Industry Corp. (CNSIC), a state-owned
firm, said that local governments had been told to ensure the production and distribution of Salt and keep close watch on
The notice was issued Tuesday by the National Development Reform Commission, the national economic planning
agency. Prices of some necessities like Salt are controlled by the government and retailers need authorization to raise
prices. Mao Qingguo, general manager of CNSIC, told China Central Television Tuesday that China had more than enough
Salt to meet demand, so price hikes were not likely. Panic buying has been reported in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, with
retailers allegedly hiking prices several times and supplies selling out. The rumours of shortages apparently arose when a
Salt company in Zhejiang Province closed for two days. China's Salt output was about 68 million tonnes last year, up 7
percent from 2007, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.(Available at
http://english.cri.cn/6909/2009/06/24/1781s496289.htm)
Salt consumption per capita (tons per person) in 17 of the 20 most populous countries in
the world
Top
(Source: Some Implications of Changing Patterns of Mineral Consumption by W. David Menzie, John H. DeYoung, Jr., and
Walter G. Steblez, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 20192 (U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-382,
answer the following questions with a "tick" in the square. Detailed answers will be given in the next issue. No prizes for the
time being; may be later. Incidentally, the quiz is not ISMA's own. We have lifted the material from a website and we are not
going to tell our readers as to from where we have done so. We will surely acknowledge the source in the next issue.
True False
True False
True False
True False
5. Most of the Salt that we consume comes from salting our food at the table
True False
True False
True False
True False
True False
True False
Caribbean, off the Florida coast of the USA. The capital city of Port au Prince could be reached by air from New York or
Miami/Fort Lauderdale.
The country's population was estimated at 8.5 million (July 2007), of whom 2.5 million live in the Capital City. The only
Most Haitians (95%) are of African descent; rest 5% being Euro-African. While the mother tongue of the Haitians is
Creole, the official languages are both French and Creole. 80% Haitians are Roman Catholic and the remaining 20% belong
to different sects of Christianity. According to 2002 estimates, the annual growth rate of population is about 1.42%. The life
expectancy is 50.8 years for males and 52.4 years for females. Adult literacy is about 53.8% for men and 50% for women,
although there is regional variation in literacy. About 10% of the Haitians speak French and English is being increasingly
spoken by the younger generation and in the business sector. Gourde is the currency (39 Gourdes being equivalent to one
US Dollar).
The country's natural resources include Bauxite, Copper, Calcium Carbonate, Gold, and Marble. Haiti's industries
include apparel, handicrafts, electronics assembly, food processing, beverages, tobacco products, furniture, printing,
chemicals, and steel. 27% of the country's GDP is attributed to agriculture, followed by industry (14%); services (52%) and
indirect and import taxes (7%). The industrial sector is poorly developed due to a number of factor. Frequent storms have
wrought havoc with agriculture. According to World Bank's reports, Haiti continues to be the poorest country in the Western
Hemisphere despite recent improvements in some areas. There is large-scale emigration of Haitians, mainly to the United
States but also to Canada, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and other Caribbean neighbours. It is estimated that
Every cell of your body contains Salt - an adult human body contains about 250 grams to maintain the normal volume of
blood and digest food.
consumption are estimated at about 46,500 tons, including Salt loss due to house-hold-level washing. There are no Salt-
Haiti is a Salt producing country. Salt is produced using sea brine and the main Salt production period lasts from
January and lasts up to April, and again from June to September. A 1995 survey by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO
and PAHO found that there were 586 Salt producers in Haiti together producing 130,000 tons of Salt per year. But, there is
no systematic way of collection of data on any aspect of the Salt industry, including the quantum of Salt production. Haiti's
Salt imports (as iodised Salt) form just about 1% of all the edible Salt available in the market.
All over Haiti the Salt producers adopt a common practice. They dig up ponds (called basins) in the soil until they hit
the clayey layer. The basins vary in size from 9 m x 11m to 40mx30m. The rain water that accumulates in the basins during
monsoon cannot be emptied without pumping and for want power supply nobody uses pumps. Consequently, even though
Salt manufacturing operations could start earlier than in January, the Salt producers wait till the accumulated rain water in
the basins to dry sufficiently enough before they start cleaning up the debris that might have accumulated in them, deepen
the basins and fill them with sea brine of 3o Be' from the creek during high tides.The basins are filled to a depth of 2 to 3
feet.
The basin represents the entire Salt work. There are no separate reservoirs, condensers and crystallisers. No effort
thrive in the basins and die as the density rises. The dead fish and other impurities that the tide brings in are taken out and
the brine allowed to evaporate. The crystallised Salt is scooped out in cane or plastic baskets. The Salt harvested is both
physically and chemically impure. There is no brine control and system and the Haitian Salt producers have no knowledge
about the density of sea brine or about the various constituents of sea water. They have never seen or used a Beaume
meter.
Indian Assistance
With a view to help Haitian Salt producers improve the quality of Salt produced by the (as a prelude to iodisation), an
Indian Consultant visited Haiti and trained about 80 Salt producers in the basics of Salt technology, brine control using
Beaume hydrometer and provided them a Manual for reference. Later, the Anand Marga Rural Upliftment Team (AMURT),
an NGO, hired the services of another Indian Salt technologist, who stayed in Haiti for 6 months, educating and training
Haitian Salt producers not only in laying out Salt works adopting scientific lay out on new lands but also on the ways and
means of converting the existing basins into scientific lay out. The efforts paid off and a number of Salt producers have
begun to adopt the scientific layout. The Donor agencies (Micronutrient Initiative and World Food Programme) procured
Indian Consultants have also trained Haitians in Salt iodisation using appropriate technology. Haiti is a long way to go,