REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Salt supply in East Nusa Tenggara has received a shot in the arm after Australia`s salt producer, Cheetam Salt Ltd., expressed its willingness to invest 200 billion IDR to develop a smallholder`s salt industrial center there later this year. The Australian company claims it controls around 1,000 hectares of land in Nagekeo village for the salt industry project.

"The investment to extend the salt farm is expected to increase supply by 250 tons to meet the needs of two million tons a year. Operationally, salt producers will accommodate the nucleus-plasma scheme," the director general of basic manufacturing industries, Panggah Susanto, said on Tuesday.

Panggah said under the scheme, farmers at the plasma would be led by the investor as the nucleus, adding, "the investor would collect and buy the salt produced by the farmers as land owners."

"The ministry of industry will encourage community members around the project and stakeholders to boost the investment flow. Cheetam also plans to develop a port to support distribution," he added.

Panggah said under salt production managed by PT Cheetam, Garam Indonesia will be distributed to Java and Sumatra. "PT Cheetam`s production will be marketed at home to support the government`s self-sufficiency program, to be launched in 2014," he said.

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