Revealed! This is the reason why Indonesia still imports 3 million tons of industrial salt

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) admits that Indonesia still imports industrial salt to meet the needs of the food, pharmaceutical and various other products industries.

Director of Marine Resources, Directorate General of Marine Management, KKP, Frista Yorhanita, said that domestic salt production is currently still in the range of 2 million tons per year, while national needs can reach 4.5-5 million tons. As a result, Indonesia still needs imports in the range of 2.6-3 million tons per year.

"The fact is that we are still importing salt, especially for industrial salt needs," said Frista in a press conference at his office, Tuesday, December 30.

This year, the Ministry of Agriculture recorded that the national salt production from people's ponds and business actors is estimated to only reach around 1 million tons per year due to weather factors.

Meanwhile, to pursue salt self-sufficiency in 2027, the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing two main programs throughout 2025, namely intensification and expansion.

In this case, intensification focuses on increasing production in existing salt centers, including the revitalization of ponds, water channel repairs, and the provision of facilities, such as a people's warehouse with a capacity of 100 tons and a salt warehouse of 2,000-7,000 tons.

Frista assessed that the improvement of channels and storage facilities was important because the quality of seawater in the Java Pantura was less optimal and prone to sedimentation, so it had an impact on the quality of salt production.

As for the expansion program, new pond development was carried out in Rote Ndao, NTT, ranging from foundation construction to crystal tables and supporting facilities such as warehouses and offices.

He said the first phase is planned to be completed by March 2026 and production is expected to begin in the same year, with the second phase continuing in 2026.

Meanwhile, the Director General of Marine Management of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Koswara, assessed that although the salt self-sufficiency target was set in 2027, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries acknowledged that its achievement was still very much influenced by weather factors.

"We are still dependent on the weather, because evaporative technology with the sun is still very cost-efficient," he said.