PHNOM PENH: Kampot and Kep provinces produced 81,154 tonnes of salt last year, an increase of 148.9 percent from 32,900 tonnes in 2022, a report of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation showed.

“Of the total salt yield in the two provinces in 2023, 64,732 tonnes were sold out. There was no import of salt from abroad,” stressed the report.

Cambodia has currently 3,987 hectares of salt fields, of which 3,489 hectares are located in Kampot province and the rest in Kep province with a total of 191 salt farmer groups.

Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodian, has instructed the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation to maintain a vigilant focus on the enhancement of salt field management and conservation in Kampot and Kep provinces, which are ancestral heritage.

“We must boost the production of salt, recognized by the Royal Government as a strategic commodity,” the Premier said at the closing ceremony of the ministry's annual meeting here on Wednesday.

Salt is currently priced at 10,000 Riel (US$2.5) to 12,000 Riel (US$3) per 50kg sack.