After iodized salt was introduced, the younger generation of salt pan proprietors began seeking for simpler means of subsistence.
This summer’s atypical rains and protracted cloudiness brought on by climate change damaged Goa’s centuries-old salt business as production fell short of market demand. Some even rushed in supplies from nearby places. Up until a few days ago, available stocks were being offered at a premium.
A “lat” (a 15kg tin container) sold for Rs. 200. A salt pan owner stated, “Last year, we sold a ‘lat’ for Rs. 150. At Batim Junction, a merchant who was selling a significant merchandise that had been imported from Kumta, Karwar, did well, earning Rs. 300 for merely 10kg.
Due to the excellent quality salt exports to several nations, Goa’s ancient industry has long maintained a high prestige. Younger generations of salt pan owners began seeking for simpler means of subsistence when iodized salt was introduced, and urbanisation also contributed to the loss of the traditional occupation.
The industry this season was dealt another setback by the weather, which included the wettest April in 85 years and an uncommonly mild May. Overcast sky for several days simply served as a barrier to solar salt formation in dry circumstances. “The salinity in the pans was reduced by the periodic rainstorm activities. Salvador Fernandes, proprietor of a salt pan in Batim, stated, “We can handle if it drizzles, but heavy interrupts the production cycle and it takes eight to ten days for the next one.
The water from the sea is directed into the elegantly terraced salt pans in four talukas—Pernem, Bardez, Tiswadi, and Salcete—to control curing at the primary, secondary, and tertiary phases, as well as the crystallizer phase. According to Savita Kerkar, dean and professor of the School of Biological Sciences & Biotechnology at Goa University, “Since rains dilutes the saltiness of saltwater, and the absence of sunshine inhibits evaporation, the process of salt crystal production is aborted.”
The complex process of manufacturing salt is made easier by piles of mud on both sides and controlled flow at all times. “Seawater has a salinity of 32 to 35 percentile salinity unit” (PSU). It reaches 100 psu when the salt crystals crystallise, according to Kerkar.
With a work force imported from neighbouring states, a handful of the 200-odd salt pans are battling to stay afloat. A salt pan owner complained, “The overheads eat into our income and in critical times like these, weather conditions further dissuade us from continuing operations.”