Confirel expands into salt production

Local firm Confirel has teamed up Le Guérandais, a famous salt producer from France, to produce high quality salt for export.

“We are very proud to have entered this partnership with such a renowned European producer,” said Hay Ly Eang, Confirel’s chairman.

Both firms are now studying ways of improving the quality of local salt and training farmers so that the product can meet European Union quality standards, Mr Ly Eang said, adding that Confirel’s salt products will be exported to the EU market.

However, salt production this year has been hampered by heavy rains, he said.

“The biggest problem we are facing is that we had to halt salt production due to the bad weather,” he said.

“As soon as the weather normalises, we will begin to produce our high quality salt again.”

Bun Baraing, executive director of the Salt Association of Kampot and Kep, told Khmer Times that unfavourable weather in the country’s south is inhibiting farmers from harvesting salt, adding that production this year will probably not be enough to meet domestic demand.

Mr Baraing estimates an extra 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes of salt will need to be imported to complement local production.

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