Salt production expected to increase to 40 mt by 2020

India is expected to increase its annual salt production to 40 million tonne by 2020, a senior official said today.
"India is expected to produce 40 million tonne of salt by 2020," Deputy Salt Commissioner R S Kashyap told reporters here.
Of this 20 million tonnes would be for industrial purposes, 7.5 million tonnes for edible purposes, 10 million tonne for export and the rest towards reserves, he said.
India's present annual salt production is over 25 million tonnes and the country is the third largest producer after China and the US, he said.
Of the total salt production, large producers contributed to 62 per cent while 28 per cent came from small-scale producers and the rest from medium scale. Most of the salt is produced by the private sector, he added.

Salt exports had brought in foreign exchange of Rs 617 crore in 2012-13, he said, adding India exported salt to countries including Japan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, South Korea, North Korea and Malaysia.
Briefing reporters about Salt India Conclave 2014 which is scheduled here tomorrow, he said the event would provide extensive opportunities for stakeholders.
It would discuss key issues like status and prospects of the salt industry in various states and mechanisation and modernisation processes, he added.