Salt Imports Still 2.7 Million Tons, This is the KKP's Trick

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) targets that the production of industrial quality salt reaches 400,000 tons per year with a sodium chloride (NaCI) content of over 97 percent.

The program is expected to strengthen the supply of raw materials for the manufacturing sector as well as support the national food security and industrial agenda.

The Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KP) Sakti Wahyu Trenggono said that the salt self-sufficiency program is one of the six priority programs of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries to support food independence, especially the fulfillment of the needs of fish and salt protein.

"This program targets an increase in salt productivity with a quality of over 97 percent NaCI and a production of around 400,000 tons per year to support the fulfillment of national salt needs, especially industrial needs," said Trenggono in his remarks at the National Coordination Meeting of the National Priority Work Program (PKPN) for the Marine and Fisheries Sector 2026 at the KKP office, Jakarta, Thursday, July 2.

Trenggono explained that in order to realize independence and resilience in the national salt industry, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has implemented a salt self-sufficiency program through an expansion and intensification strategy in accordance with Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 17 of 2025 concerning the Acceleration of National Salt Development.

He said the government targeted an increase in productivity and the quality of national salt so that it could meet the needs of the industry, which until now still depends on supplies from abroad.

According to Trenggono, the current national salt needs are still dominated by imports, especially to meet the demand of the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

The average volume of Indonesian salt imports still reaches around 2.7 million tons per year, so increasing national production is one of the government's priorities.

The salt self-sufficiency program is part of the implementation of the blue economic policy carried out by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

In addition to strengthening the salt industry, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries also carries out a number of other priority programs, such as the development of red and white fishing villages (KNMP), the development of thematic inland fish cultivation, the revitalization of cultivation ponds on the North Coast of Java, the development of integrated shrimp areas in Waingapu, East Sumba and the modernization of 4,582 fishing vessels.

According to Trenggono, all of these programs are designed to support food security while creating sustainable economic growth through the marine and fisheries sector.