Covid-19 impacts salt demand, drop in exports fills gap of lower output

Production hit due to delayed season estimated 15%, lockdown impacted some harvesting

Salt demand took a big hit this season following the lockdown that was imposed in the last week of March. An expected 40 per cent drop in exports this salt season due to slowdown in industrial and economic activity over the past one year, closure of eateries the past month-and-a-half, and caustic and soda ash companies running at lower capacities are expected bring down overall demand by 20 per cent.

India’s salt season is from Mid-October to June. This year the season started 6-8 weeks late because of the extended monsoon, impacting the production usually seen by April-end.

Bharat Rawal,