A push for Hon Khoi salt area

Investing in Hon Khoi salt field infrastructure

Khanh Hoa's salt production area mainly concentrates in the Hon Khoi area, Ninh Hoa town with an area of about 650ha, of which Ninh Diem ward makes up nearly 400ha. Currently, Cau Treo canal system, about 7.7 km long, with an average width of 30m, supplies and drains Hon Khoi salt production area. It is a canal system dug in the French period.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Quang, Deputy Director of the Khanh Hoa Department of MARD, said that now many canals had been filled up, the water level at high tide is only more than 1m deep, and many places are dry. Although people repair the dike system every year, it is not significant. Additionally, currently, the dike system on both sides of the canal is seriously eroded, only certain dyke sections are useable. Along with that, the dyke surface has an average width of 5-7m, and the height of the dike compared to the water surface at a dry time varies from 1-1.5m. Consequently, in the rainy season, water overflows the banks, destroying many dykes, and causing great damage in Hon Khoi salt production area.

Besides Cau Treo's main canal, Hon Khoi production area also has a system of canals leading water from Cau Treo canal to salt fields. The entire system has 12 branch canals, all of which are currently filled with soil, degraded, and cannot conduct water for effective salt production. The bottom of the canal is filled with litter with a width of 5-7m.

“The canal bank is almost nonexistent, there is only a small bank of land for walking trails. Every year, it is filled up, blocking the flow, not able to drain the area and serve salt production, increasing production costs and reducing the average salt yield of the region", Mr. Nguyen Duy Quang said. He also added that canals and culverts have not been dredged and repaired for many years, so the ability to conduct and store water is very poor.

Consequently, the current supply of salt from the locality is from the people. They produce salt in small, fragmented ways, mainly using manual labor. This leads to low productivity, reduced quality, and low sustainability, making life difficult for people in the salt areas. Although the local government and people have made great efforts in the renovation and upgrading work, they have only partially met the local production. However, the current state of infrastructure shows that the local infrastructure has not met the needs of salt production development in the region.

Facing the above situation, Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee has developed a proposal for an investment policy in upgrading and renovating infrastructure for salt production from 2021 to 2025. After that, MARD approved the investment policy in Decision 3313 dated July 23, 2021, and Decision No. 3747 dated October 5, 2022, on adjustment of investment policy. In this decision, there is the project of Renovating and upgrading the infrastructure to serve the production of Hon Khoi salt fields with a total investment of nearly VND61 billion.

Accordingly, the project will upgrade and renovate the transportation system, irrigation, and other ancillary works. These ancillary works will serve the production, transportation, and circulation of salt production after harvesting over an area of 87ha (in Ninh Tho commune). Along with that, dredging and reinforcing the main canal is about 2.8 km long. This ensures the water supply for salt production and dredging, reinforcing branch canals supplying water to salt fields with a total length of more than 2km. This also includes the renewing of the regulating sluices at the beginning of the canal, the bridge over the canal, and other ancillary works; upgrading and renovating traffic roads along the canal route, with a total length of about 2.8km according to rural traffic standards to serve salt transport and travel of salt farmers.  

Enhancing the salt product value chain

In addition to upgrading infrastructure, Khanh Hoa province also issued Decision 2142 on July 26, 2021, approving the project to increase the value of salt production and processing in the 2021-2030 period. The objective is to improve productivity, and quality and diversify salt products to meet domestic demand for salt. This also aims towards exporting salt and creating jobs, raising incomes, and stabilizing the lives of people making salt. 

According to Mr. Nguyen Duy Quang, Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Department of MARD, the orientation of building sustainable commodity value chains with the participating stakeholders will promote salt farmers to cling to salt fields and feel secure in production. At the same time, create opportunities and motivation to encourage salt-marsh cooperatives to strengthen the linkages in product consumption for salt farmers. At the same time, create opportunities and motivation to encourage salt production cooperatives to strengthen the linkages to guarantee offtake for salt farmers, and promote and preserve traditional salt production in Hon Khoi salt area.

“We will build links between businesses and salt cooperatives to cooperate in purchasing input materials, processing, creating brands, promoting, and consuming products. When participating in this linkage chain, businesses, salt business cooperatives, and salt people will enjoy support policies. Specifically, stipulating Decree No. 98/2018/ND-CP dated July 5, 2018, of the Government on policies to encourage the development of cooperation and association in the production and consumption of agro-products. These policies include support for link building consultancy, link service infrastructure; supporting the agricultural extension, training, educating…”, the Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Department of MARD said.

According to Mr. Quang, after renovating infrastructure, building commodity value chains, and linking production, The Department of MARD will continue to advise the Provincial People's Committee to reorganize production and develop salt production cooperatives. This includes training and educating to improve salt production capacity. Along with that, developing Doc Let beach resort tourism activities, combine Doc Let beach tourism activities with tourism to experience clean salt production in Hon Khoi salt area and production lines and technology for processing salt products at salt processing businesses in Ninh Hoa town. As well as developing geographical indications for the production area and typical salt product brands of Khanh Hoa province, organizing the development of a trade promotion program for salt products.