The Pangasinan Salt Center in Bolinao has been providing agricultural-grade salt fertilizer to coconut farms in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Central Luzon through the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Nestor Batalla, in a phone interview on Monday, said the salt farm has delivered 17,000 bags of 50-kilogram of agricultural-grade salt fertilizer to Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region in the first quarter of this year.

“We have an ongoing delivery to Region 3 (Central Luzon) of 20,000 bags and an additional 1,560 bags,” he said.

He said they sold the agricultural-grade salt fertilizer at PHP800 per bag but requested for an increase of up to PHP1,000 per bag following the fuel price hike.

Batalla said they target to produce 8,500 metric tons of salt this year but surpassed the target as of April 30 this year.

He attributed this to the expansion of the production area in the farm. Last year, the salt farm produced 7,500 metric tons of salt.

He added that the provincial government of Pangasinan signed a memorandum of agreement with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Ilocos Region for the implementation of the Development of Salt Industry Project.

Batalla said through the project, BFAR would provide machinery or other support services to the salt farm.

Among these are Shared Service Facility 12-tonner capacity salt warehouse, twin cooking structure and a salt crusher with shed.

Vice Gov. Mark Ronald Lambino, in a separate interview, said the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial board) approved on Monday a resolution authorizing Gov. Ramon Guico III to enter into a MOA with PCA for the additional 1,560 bags in Central Luzon.

“This is part of the continuous marketing, promotions, and production of salt by the salt farm of the province,” he said.

The PCA’s coconut fertilization project aims to boost coconut productivity by rehabilitating low-bearing palms.

The Pangasinan Salt Center supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, which aims to strengthen and revitalize the country’s salt industry. It directly responds to the President’s call to address the nation’s salt crisis. (PNA)