MADURAI: The summer rains in recent days in Thoothukudi, the largest producer of salt in Tamil Nadu, have affected the essential commodity’s production. Saltpans were inundated due to recent heavy downpour.

According to ARAS Dhanabalan, former secretary, Thoothukudi Small Scale Salt Manufacturers Association, the unseasonal rainfall in Thoothukudi wreaked havoc on production, which would not happen in the remaining days of May. Even if the salt production resumed in June, only 50 per cent of the average annual production could be achieved this year.

Last year, 80 per cent of the production was achieved. On the positive side, the price of the manufactured salt rose to a maximum of Rs 4,000 per tonne, but stocks have plunged and its availability has become scarce, he said.

MP Dileep, salt manufacturer, Thoothukudi said there was an unusual delay in production, which could not even pick up at the peak season of May, this year. Some saltpans have started to crop up a few days ago, but the heavy downpour on Tuesday dashed our hopes. Earlier, it rained in March end and in the mid of April affecting the crop cycle. Now, stocks are depleted and a new crop is yet to be witnessed. It would take at least a month for this situation to stabilise.

Much to their agony, almost 90 per cent stocks dissolved into nothing in December last year, Dileep told DT Next on Wednesday.

Gone are those days when Thoothukudi salt where transported in cargo wagons across India, J Santhosh Kumar, salt merchant, Thoothukudi, said adding that since buyers could not meet rising market costs they gave up and many started preferring Gujarat, the largest producer in India. Lastly, salt from Thoothukudi was transported by wagons during 2006-2007.

M Ramesh Kandaswamy, salt manufacturer from Vedaranyam, said a similar situation is prevailing across state because of rainfall. Usually, areas near Chennai would witness production in January, but it’s a delayed start that picked up only this month. By this time, salt production in Vedaranyam should have touched 50 per cent, but it’s not even 25 per cent now. Usually, it rains after June 15 in Gujarat, where it’s raining now. Therefore, global warming is taking its toll. The other concerning factor was the Centre’s non-renewal of saltpan leases, he said.