DOST eyes 2 towns for integrated salt production project
THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) decided to launch a special project in Pangasinan to further boost salt production.
Last week, DOST experts were in Dasol and Infanta towns to evaluate possible project cooperators for the special project.
DOST Region 1 Director Armand Ganal explained in an interview with The PUNCH that cooperators will be used as medium to implement the project for small and medium enterprises for integrated salt production in Pangasinan.
Ganal said Pangasinan is the second top salt producer in the Philippines next to Mindoro.
There are two components of the project, first is the fabrication of production facilities and equipment and the second is the development of gourmet salt product, Ganal said.
Other projects will be launched soon and these will be awarded to other salt stakeholders.
He said the purpose of the project is to demonstrate that a technology in increasing salt production is still possible using production facilities that can be used in both cooked salt and solar salt.
Meanwhile, Ganal said Fourth District Rep. Christopher de Venecia has also requested the DOST to monitor the salinity of coastal waters and study their potential for salt production.
He said they are coordinating with the Pangasinan State University to do this.
Pangasinan comes from the word asinan which means where salt is made and is blessed with fine salt beds.
Dasol has its Salt Festival to promote its salt produce.
A research conducted by the Nutrition Center of the Philippines on salt industry done by Florentiono Solon, Teresa Nano, Liza Sanchez said there are 74,765 metric tons of salt produced by four big saltmakers.
It added that the salt produced in Pangasinan are sold largely to Bulacan (33.33%), to Bicol (29.17%) and other parts of Luzon. (Eva C. Visperas)
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