Indonesia builds Pamekasan salt center to curb imports by 2027

Pamekasan, East Java (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is building a community-based salt center in Pamekasan District, East Java, to boost the economy and increase national salt production.

The Head of the Pamekasan Marine Affairs and Fisheries Agency, Abdul Fata, on Monday, said the salt center's construction will be centered in Majungan Village, Pamekasan.

"The construction is currently underway, and substantive monitoring has been conducted by the relevant ministries," he said.

The primary objective of developing the salt center is to achieve national salt self-sufficiency by 2027, in line with Presidential Regulation Number 17 of 2025.

"This policy also aims to establish strategic steps to gradually reduce dependence on salt imports, both for consumption and the industrial sector," Fata continued.

To realize this target, the government is implementing priority strategies that include infrastructure development, improving the quality of salt production, and transforming the salt industry.

According to Fata, the government is providing facilities in the form of a high-tech salt processing factory and strengthening community salt ponds. Meanwhile, quality improvement involves processing salt produced by local farmers to meet industrial quality standards.

The total budget allocated by the central government for the development of the salt center reaches Rp7.9 billion (US$430 thousand).

Pamekasan has been designated as one of the regions supporting the food self-sufficiency program due to its role as a major salt-producing area, together with Sumenep and Sampang on Madura Island.

The district's salt ponds cover 913.5 hectares, spread across three sub-districts: Galis, Pademawu, and Tlanakan.

In Galis, four salt-producing villages: Lembung, Polagan, Konang, and Pandang, cover 458.6 hectares of salt ponds.

In Pademawu, eight salt-producing villages: Dasuk, Bunder, East Pademawu, Tanjung, Padelegan, Majungan, Pegagagan, and Baddurih cover 445.4 hectares of salt ponds.

Meanwhile, in Tlanakan, salt production takes place in three villages: Tlesah, Tlanakan, and Branta Tinggi, with a total salt pond area of 9.6 hectares.

Of the 15 salt-producing villages spread across these areas, Lembung Village has the largest salt pond area, covering 245 hectares with a total production of 1,581 tons in 2018.

"From that area, total salt production in Pamekasan is around 130,000 tons, and once the salt center in Majungan Village is completed, we are confident that salt production will increase even further," Fata pointed out.

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Translator: Abd Aziz, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Editor: Arie Novarina

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