Raigam salters boosts production

by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

Raigam salterns are making a salient contribution to the salt production in the country which has increased sharply over the recent years.

Work on the second stage of the pure refined free flow table salt plant at Bataaththa is nearing completion and commercial operations are expected to commence next month.

Kunukalliya salterns

The state-of-the-art refinery of Raigam Southern Salterns has been set up on an eight acre block at the Bataaththa Industrial Zone which consists of over 300 acres.

Chairman Raigam Southern Salterns, Dr. Ravi Liyanage said that installation of machinery has been completed and the operation of the plant will commence with the harvest expected next month.

"Southern Salterns will initially produce one metric ton free flow salt per hour at its new plant and then increase production with the aim of exporting", he said.

Pure free flow salt will be manufactured from the harvest of the Kunukalliya salterns which comprises around 25 acres in Hungama, Tangalle. The Southern Salterns was set up in 2007 with an investment of Rs.300 million.

Dr. Liyanage said Southern Salterns hopes to produce around 3,500 MT of salt this year and added that around 10,000 MT of salt will be produced within the next five years.

He said dry windy weather is essential to produce salt and added that production could be delayed due to bad weather.

"Though the raw material is free and there is modern technology the production of salt could be hampered by prolonged adverse weather", Dr.Liyanage said.

The salterns provide employment to people in the area. Around 300 people are employed for harvesting.The refinery will provide employment to around 150 people.

"There has been a sharp increase in production of crystal salt at the Southern Salterns which makes a vital contribution to the manufacture of salt in the country", Dr. Liyanage said.

Around 90 percent of the country's salt requirement is met locally.The import of salt which cost around US$ 1 million annually has dropped to around 5-10 percent from around 30 percent.

Dr. Liyanage said salt production will increase sharply this year with the operation of the Kuchchaveli salterns and the country's first pure vacuum dried (PVD) plant in Puttalam.

The governmnet approved the clearance of the two-acre land in Kuchchaveli to construct the largest slatern in the country. He said work on these projects are in progress and added that the operation of the new plant and slaterns will help save the drain of foreign exchange to the country.

The 120-acre manufacturing plant in Puttalam is the only salt refinery in the country using Krebs Swiss Salex technology to produce free flow table salt.

"Salterns destroyed by the conflict should be revived and put into full operation and thereby enhance production to curtail imports", Dr. Liyanage said.