The salt farms would demonstrate to salt workers the methods of producing quality salt with higher yields. The model farms make it feasible for adoption of new technology by salt workers. On demonstration, farms will learn different salt-making techniques, harvesting methods and mechanisms of washing.

Salt-making is a labor -intensive industry where 95 percent of salt-producers are in unorganized sector that produces 40 percent of India’s total salt output. The 5 percent who are in the organized sector produces the remaining 60 percent output. This industry has Rs 2,000 crore turnover and a major portion of which is contributed by salt industry of Gujarat.

The production of salt is vulnerable to climatic variations. Excessive rains lead to salt panes dilution that further leads to delays in harvests. Another limitation is manual nature of the industry. To meet these issues, ISMA has submitted a memorandum to the salt committee in-order to discuss on challenges that confronts the salt industry.

Gujarat is the only state where land is still available for salt production. However, there are pending applications for grant of one lakh acres of land on lease terms for salt production with the Gujarat government. Rajasthan on the other hand has a large area under desert and requires attention for the growth of salt industry. Here, there is the option for exploration of subsoil brine that has high sodium sulphate content. But then NaSo4 crystallizes along with the salt, rending it inedible. Thus, there arises the need to improve on technology so as to make high-grade subsoil edible salt. Thus salt testing laboratories need to be modernized and services extended to industry at nominal fee.

The crisis has resulted from an increase in raw material cost. Yarn (cotton and silk) prices have seen a sharp increase in prices. Within last six months the prices of silk and cotton has doubled. The market phenomena indicates 5-kg bundle of cotton price to cost Rs 1,100 from Rs 800 six months ago. Silk prices have risen from Rs. 1,400 per kg to Rs 2,400 per kg. Not just this, prices of Zari, colors and chemicals have also increased during the period of last six months. Then there is also the concern of transportation as weavers have to procure raw materials from neighboring states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka apart from Andhra Pradesh.

Weavers’ wage rate has come down and the remuneration remains between Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 per month. These factors have drastically affected design and quality. The designs produced by weavers are outdated and do not meet international standards. This has also led to the fall in demand. The business has collapsed 25-30 percent in terms of volume.

The no. of weavers’ has declined from 15 thousand to less than 5000. The new generation does not want to adopt weaving anymore as it is no longer a profitable business. People are moving to cities in search of a better living.

The government has stepped up and mooted to retain the tradition. It has identified two clusters – Pochampally 1 and Pochampally 2 for providing a common weaving facility centre to the locals. Rs 60 lakh for each cluster has been earmarked by State Government to implement the project in three years span in a phased manner. A consortium of 500 weavers is expected to be formed for each of the cluster. Such cluster will also organize exhibitions, trade fairs and similar promotional activities.