Pangasinan to boost salt industry with PCA Partnership
THE Pangasinan Provincial Board approved a resolution authorizing Governor Ramon Guico III to sign an agreement with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to supply agricultural-grade salt fertilizers to improve coconut production.
The partnership supports the PCA’s Coconut Fertilization Project for 2024, which aims to improve coconut output by rehabilitating low-bearing palms using salt fertilizers.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Nestor Batalla highlighted the province’s growing salt industry, noting that the first salt production season from September 2023 to June 2024 ended with a record six million kilos of salt harvested. The second season, which began in November, is expected to produce up to 10 million kilos.
Batalla also pointed to a price increase for agricultural-grade salt from P550 to P800 per 50-kilogram bag due to the high demand from the PCA’s fertilization program.
The PCA’s 2024 budget for salt procurement is P2.4 billion.
Batalla said local salt producers are benefiting from a diverse range of buyers, including poultry farms and international markets, and recently Pangasinan’s salt industry has been drawing attention from researchers and students learn about traditional salt production methods.
The Pangasinan Salt Center, led by Batalla, is also exploring tourism opportunities to highlight the region’s cultural and agricultural heritage and a P50 million provincial budget has been allocated for next year’s salt production and tourism development efforts, aimed at attracting more visitors and creating economic opportunities for the province. (Eva Visperas)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
