Kampot Salt

“You are the salt of the earth . . . “ Matt. 5:13

In the Cambodian process of salt farming, fields composed of clay-like dirt are flooded with sea water. As the water evaporates in the hot sun, salt crystals are left behind. The salt is then collected and stored in barns before being taken to a factory for cleaning. After being cleaned, iodine is added and it is then packaged and shipped throughout the country for use. There are two main salt fields around the town seaside town of Kampot (Cambodia), and there are seven salt fields in the general area. On average, thirteen to fourteen thousand tons of salt is harvested each year, in each location - all by hand. While salt production has been down in recent years, in 2014 the combined production of all the fields was 147,000 tons. Like other types of farming, overall production is greatly impacted by weather, dependent on the scorching days of the hot season to evaporate standing sea water. Workers, many who have harvested slat for generations, earn roughly $8 per day.