(CPV) - With the historical and cultural values crystallized from salt, we can be completely confident that Bac Lieu salt will continue to thrive, salt farmers will prosper from salt, and Ba Thac salt will forever be a source of pride for the people of Bac Lieu.
Many people call Bac Lieu the land of salt, initially known as Ba Thac salt, and later also as Long Dien salt (because Long Dien, Dong Hai district, has the largest salt production area in the province). For over 100 years of development, Bac Lieu salt has become inextricably linked to the land and its people, an indispensable part of the region's flavor.
 |
| Source: Bac Lieu Salt Festival Organizing Committee |
Increase production value
Looking back at history, the salt-making industry in Bac Lieu has made a significant contribution to the province's economic growth. Furthermore, the salt-making industry in Bac Lieu also holds special cultural value. It reflects the unique identity and natural conditions of Bac Lieu. Producing salt without a bitter taste – this is a special characteristic, a legacy passed down from generation to generation by the salt farmers of Bac Lieu.
It can be seen that Bac Lieu salt is not only a purely economic commodity but also embodies creativity and reflects the unique customs, traditions, beliefs, and natural conditions of the region. In particular, the true stories and anecdotes surrounding the salt-making profession and Bac Lieu salt itself are tangible values and potential resources for tourism .
Sharing information about the salt-making industry in Bac Lieu today, Mr. Ngo Nguyen Phong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Lieu, said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has agreed with Bac Lieu province to organize a Salt Festival from March 6-8, 2025. During this event, the locality is also inviting investors to come and explore, survey, and assess the situation in order to build processing plants and market salt products domestically and internationally.
"Currently, several investors have registered to build salt production plants and showrooms in Bac Lieu province, while some investors from Hanoi have entered the market to establish production linkages with cooperatives to guarantee product sales and build salt storage facilities, selling whenever prices are favorable," Mr. Phong said.
According to Deputy Director Ngo Nguyen Phong, to increase the value of salt, it is necessary to focus on investing in building warehouses to store salt, and then sell it when prices are stable and profitable. Through investment promotion, Bac Lieu province has found some foreign partners, such as China, to create a link for salt consumption. “To increase the value of salt, we must improve its quality; when quality is high, the price of salt will automatically increase. The province will orient production towards gradually increasing the quality of salt products from 3 stars to 4 stars, and from 4 stars to 5 stars. Currently, Bac Lieu is proposing to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to recognize two salt products as achieving OCOP 5-star standards this year,” Mr. Phong said.
Mr. Phong advised salt farmers to pay attention to water quality during salt production to gradually improve product quality. Currently, salt is not only consumed domestically but also exported abroad. Therefore, foreign markets always demand very strict standards and product quality, so farmers should cultivate the habit of producing the best quality salt. Furthermore, salt production depends on the weather, so people should regularly update weather information to adjust production accordingly, avoiding situations where bad weather affects the harvest. "To make the product strong enough, there is no other way than to produce according to the cooperative economic model. Because in this type of production, salt farmers will produce within a linked chain and have their products guaranteed for sale. From there, the value of production will gradually increase, whereas small-scale production leads to unstable prices due to inconsistent output," Mr. Phong emphasized.
 |
| Mr. Ngo Nguyen Phong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Lieu (Photo: HNV) |
Developing the salt industry in a sustainable direction.
In my opinion, for the salt industry to develop sustainably and for the salt market to stabilize, eliminating the volatile price dependence on middlemen, salt farmers need to abandon their fragmented and small-scale production mindset and practices. Instead, they should boldly participate in collective economic models such as cooperatives and associations to receive government support policies, especially to produce within a linked chain from input to output, with guaranteed product sales. Only then can salt farmers feel secure in their production without worrying about the lack of buyers or being subjected to price manipulation. In fact, over the past period, Bac Lieu province has issued many policies to support and invest in infrastructure for salt fields and is determined to preserve the traditional salt industry. The People's Committee of Bac Lieu province has approved the "Enhancing the Value of Salt Production and Processing" project for the period 2021-2030.
Notably, to preserve the existing salt production area, and in line with the province's economic development strategy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has provided 130 billion VND to support the project to upgrade the salt fields in Bac Lieu province. This includes upgrading the salt field infrastructure, providing electricity to households within the project area, upgrading roads, and dredging irrigation canals; improving the efficiency and quality of salt, and helping salt farmers apply technology to increase salt productivity. Simultaneously, the project aims to attract investors in salt processing to build brands for food salt, medicinal salt, and tourist souvenirs; and to create exhibition areas showcasing salt, salt production tools and equipment, and the history of the salt industry to connect with tourism.
In addition, the United Nations Global Environment Fund, the funding body for the project "Conservation and enhancement of the value of traditional salt production associated with tourism development in the coastal area of Hoa Binh district," has also piloted a model of a smart salt tourism village associated with the preservation of the traditional salt-making village in Vinh Tien hamlet (Vinh Thinh commune, Hoa Binh district).
It can be said that, besides its economic value, the salt-making profession in Bac Lieu also contains special cultural value. The stories surrounding the salt-making profession and Bac Lieu salt are tangible values and potentials for tourism. Bac Lieu will develop tourism products that offer experiences in salt-making, souvenir products made from salt, and medicinal products derived from salt; it will also establish a salt festival and organize it annually to promote and attract tourists to visit and enjoy. Currently, Bac Lieu has 10 salt products that have been recognized as OCOP certified products, including 7 products from Bac Lieu Salt Joint Stock Company that achieved 4 stars (Bac Lieu refined salt, Bac Lieu shrimp salt, Bac Lieu vegetarian salt, Bac Lieu granulated salt, Bac Lieu chili salt, Bac Lieu pepper salt) and 3 products from Dong Hai Salt Joint Stock Company that achieved 3 stars (clean granulated salt, dried clean granulated salt, dried iodized refined salt).
The leaders of Bac Lieu province also clearly affirmed that the salt-making profession in Bac Lieu has gone through more than 100 years with many ups and downs. Salt, closely associated with the lives and production activities of the people, has become deeply ingrained in their consciousness and passed down through many generations. Despite many difficulties, salt farmers in Bac Lieu are always determined to cling to the profession with the hope that the salt industry will flourish again.
Bac Lieu province is determined to preserve its traditional salt-making industry. This is affirmed through the approval of a project to enhance the value of salt production and processing for the period 2021-2030, aiming to maintain a salt production area of 1,500 hectares and an annual salt output of 66,000 tons by 2030. Along with accelerating the implementation of the project to upgrade Bac Lieu's salt fields, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bac Lieu province is also actively supporting salt companies in innovating their processing technology to increase added value, serving both domestic and export needs. Simultaneously, the province is focusing on exploiting and developing the "Bac Lieu Edible Salt" brand, which has been certified with a geographical indication, in conjunction with tourism development, viewing this as a solution to improve efficiency and ensure the sustainable development of Bac Lieu's salt industry.
Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/kinh-te/bai-2-tu-hao-nghe-muoi-bac-lieu-686859.html
Comment (0)