TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government is preparing land for salt farming in the eastern region of Indonesia in its effort to achieve salt-sufficiency, an official said. A number of salt-farming has been opened as expansion strategies in the province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
"Such as in the districts of North Central Timor, South Central Timor, Ende, Malaka, the provincial capital of Kupang, and other regions," said Agung Kuswandono of the Coordinating Maritime Ministry, stated on Tuesday.
He remarked that the government steps to open the new salt-farming land are an effort to achieve its target to become self-sufficient in salt production by 2021.
The maritime coordinating ministry remarked that the other regions in the eastern part of Indonesia are still often showered by rain. Frequent rainfall affects the quality of salt, he revealed.
He added that the government plans to expand the creation of salt-farming land, until it reaches 40 thousand hectares.
Besides targeting to achieve self-sufficiency, the government is also expected to export salt by 2021, Kuswandono explained.
According to him, in addition to targeting to support the need for national salt, the salt produced in the eastern region of Indonesia is also expected to meet quality in accordance with industry needs standards.
In order to realize this, the government has not only cooperated with state-owned companies but also with a number of private firms.
ANTARA
