REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MUARA TEWEH -- The district of North Barito of Central Kalimantan recorded coal sales at 1.6 million tons in March, or down from the sales in previous months.

"The total sales were recorded by nine producers holding the mining license (IUP), operating in the district," an official of the district mining and energy service Sarifudin said here on Friday.

Sarifudin said coal sales have continued to shrink in the past two years on shrinking demand in international market.

The falling prices resulted in producers cutting their production to reduce production cost, he said.

"Currently a number of coal mining companies have laid off part of their workers," he said.

Coal producers are facing not only pri9ce fall but also difficulty in rive transport especially in Barito river.

The Barito river has served important role for the transport coal from the interior area to coastal areas or port towns.

Coal barges could not move easily in dry season as the water would be tool shallow and in rainy season the water would swell too high that barges could pass through under the many bridges over the river, Sarifuddin said.

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