LINGAYEN – The provincial government of Pangasinan will soon supply agriculture grade salt to the Philippine Coconut Authority after the provincial board approved a resolution on May 20 authorizing Gov. Ramon Guico III to enter into an agreement with the PCA.

Vice Gov. Mark Ronald Lambino said that the provincial government will deliver some 4,180 bags of salt for the agency's coconut fertilization project this year.

The use of salt or sodium chloride as fertilizer is a practical means of increasing coconut production, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) website.

Salt is the cheapest and best source of chlorine to increase copra yield, it added.

The DA said that a PCA survey conducted nationwide showed that at least 40 coconut producing provinces are severely chlorine deficient.

"So, like what I've said last week, the province is now slowly shifting from salt production to eventual sales and marketing," said Lambino.

"And we are expecting the PCA salt requirements to expand in the next few years," Lambino added.

In June last year, the provincial government took over the operations of a 473-hectare salt farm at Barangay Zaragoza in Bolinao town.

The salt farm, used to be run by the Pacific Farms Inc., was the largest contributor to the country's total salt production at 25,000 metric tons of salt a year. But the Department of Environment and Natural Resources closed the farm after the company's lease contract expired and was not renewed.

Since its first harvest on Dec. 21, 2023, the farm now boasts of a total harvest of 550 metric tons, said Nestor Batalla, assistant provincial agriculturist.

Batalla said that aside from the PCA, other business establishments from the different parts of province, especially food processors, have signified their desire to buy salt from the province.

"These are one of the first steps that we take to promote the salt that we produce," said Lambino.

The agreement will be signed by Guico and PCA chief Dexter Buted.

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