Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian government is accelerating the development of the National Salt Industry Center (K-SIGN) in Rote Ndao District, East Nusa Tenggara, to lift output to five million metric tons by 2029.
Head of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) M. Qodari said the salt estate is part of efforts to bolster Indonesia’s self-reliance.
“The government targets to gradually raise national salt production from the baseline of around one million tons to 2.5 million tons in 2026, to 3.5 million tons in 2027, and to five million tons in 2029,” he remarked at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.
With stronger capacity, he added, Indonesia expects to cut salt imports from 2.6 million tons to two million tons in 2026 and one million tons the following year before eliminating the need for imported salt by 2029.
“This is part of efforts to realize national self-sufficiency in salt,” Qodari affirmed.
He elaborated that the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries had set a target for K-SIGN to cover up to 10,764 hectares, with 2,000 hectares developed on community-owned plots.
The ministry will collaborate with investors to develop the remaining 8,000 hectares, aiming to boost local welfare, he added.
Qodari further reported that the ministry had completed the initial development phase covering 616 hectares and begun developing another 751 hectares in the second phase.
Moreover, he continued, the ministry had launched a pilot production program on the 616 hectares already developed, with the first harvest expected in November this year.
Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono launched K-SIGN development in Rote Ndao in June 2025.
He said the area was designed as a national pilot model that adopts modern technology, integrates supply chains, connects salt farmers with industries, and expands access to financing for farmers.
The minister also projected that K-SIGN would create around 26,000 new jobs and benefit thousands of workers in supporting sectors, such as merchants, parking attendants, and fish vendors.
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Translator: P.T. Violleta, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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