A shipment of salt imported from India is scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka tonight (May 21) in a bid to alleviate the country’s current salt shortage, Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security Wasantha Samarasinghe announced.
Speaking to Ada Derana, Minister Samarasinghe stated that the consignment comprises a total of 3,050 metric tons of salt. Of this, 250 metric tons have been imported by private sector entities, while the remaining 2,800 metric tons were brought in by the state-owned National Salt Company.
Sri Lanka’s monthly salt requirement is estimated at 15,000 metric tons, with annual consumption reaching approximately 180,000 metric tons.
The country’s salt production typically occurs during two main harvesting periods: the Yala season (mid-February to mid-April) and the Maha season (mid-June to mid-October). However, Minister Samarasinghe highlighted that last year’s unusually heavy rainfall severely disrupted both harvests, significantly reducing domestic output.
Consequently, the country has been forced to turn to imports to bridge the supply gap and meet national demand.
