MANILA – Farmers group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) on Saturday said the Philippines can compete with other countries in terms of salt production.

"Ang average production cost nasa P3. So kung sasabihin natin, kaya natin mag-compete with other countries. Kailangan tulungan lang 'yung industriya ng pag-aasin," SINAG chairman Rosendo So told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

Last week, the government said the Department of Agriculture allocated P100 million for the modernization of the country's salt industry.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources' chief information officer Nazzer Briguera said the fund would help boost efforts for the country to become more self-sufficient in the production of salt.

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"Nakikita natin doon sa mga presyo na pumasok kaya natin mag-compete kasi 'yung galing sa China July shipment nakita natin... nasa P3.86 to P4.11," So said.

"Ibig sabihin kung nilabas 'yan ng merkado ang puhunan ng importer nasa P5. 'Yung local production natn tiningnan natin sa lalawigan ng Pangasinan ang production cost is P5 din."

So made the statement despite the fact that the country is now importing as much as 90 percent of its salt supply, while the remaining 10 percent comes from local production.

"'Yung local production natin more or less up to today is 10 percent of the total [supply]. So maliit talaga ang local production natin," he said.

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So recounted that during the 1990s, the country supplied 80 percent of the country's salt requirements, and only 20 percent was imported.

"No'ng pagdating ng 2008 almost 50 percent na ang pinasok natin. Itong 2018 ang pinasok natin 80 percent, ang salt ay galing ng other countries na," he said. "And sa ngayon 90 porsiyento ang galing sa other countries."

According to So, the government should provide salt-drying equipment for local producers to be used during the rainy season.

"Pagdating ng rainy season siguro dapat may equipment tayo 'yung pang-dry... [para] lumaki 'yung production natin," he said.

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