The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will provide PHP3.69 million worth of equipment to 45 individuals and a fisherfolk group to boost the salt industry in the province.

BFAR Antique Provincial Director Richard Cordero said, in an interview on Wednesday, they are now in the process of social preparation and conducting capacity building for the recipients of the equipment to make solar salts such as water pump, drums, and polyethylene plastic that will be released either in February or March this year.

“The identified individual beneficiaries will come from the towns of Belison, Patnongon, Tibiao, Laua-an while the association is from Bugasong,” Cordero said.

He said the solar salt project to be run by an association in Bugasong will be their techno-demonstration.

Cordero added that they hope that more people will be encouraged to venture into salt-making, considering that only Patnongon and Belison towns are producers.

“The traditional salt-making is so laborious because the salt makers have to go back and forth scooping the seawater, but with the solar salt materials it would already be mechanized,” he said.

A water pump will be provided to collect water from the sea to spare salt makers from coming back and forth to get water. Drums as a container for seawater collected. Polyethylene plastics are to be used instead of bamboo poles to dry the seawater to be exposed to the sun to become salt.

In addition to the solar salt equipment, BFAR will also provide four storage facilities where salt can be stored using sacks.

The individual beneficiaries from the four towns will be formed into associations to commonly use the storage facilities, he added.

“The storage facility is clean and could ensure the quality of salt to be sold in the market,” Cordero said. (PNA)