'El Nino Is A Blessing': Why Indonesian Salt Farmers Welcome Long Droughts | Watch
News world 'El Nino Is A Blessing': Why Indonesian Salt Farmers Welcome Long Droughts | Watch 'El Nino Is A Blessing': Why Indonesian Salt Farmers
News world 'El Nino Is A Blessing': Why Indonesian Salt Farmers Welcome Long Droughts | Watch 'El Nino Is A Blessing': Why Indonesian Salt Farmers Welcome Long Droughts | Watch Published By, Last Updated: August 06, 2026, 16:17 IST Most of Indonesia's salt is still produced using traditional methods. Farmers channel seawater into shallow coastal ponds and rely on the sun's heat to evaporate the water. A drone view shows a farmer collecting crystallised salt from a pond floor during harvest in Pengarengan village, Cirebon, West Java province, Indonesia. (IMAGE: REuTERS) Across much of Indonesia, the return of El Nino has farmers worried about scorched fields and shrinking harvests. But along the salt pans of West Java, the climate phenomenon is being welcomed with open arms. “For us, El Nino is a blessing and a grace.
It is something we should be grateful for," says one salt farmer to Reuters, echoing a sentiment shared by many whose livelihoods depend not on rain, but on relentless sunshine. Most of Indonesia’s salt is still produced using traditional methods. Farmers channel seawater into shallow coastal ponds and rely on the sun’s heat to evaporate the water before scraping the crystallised salt into large white mounds. Even a brief spell of rain can interrupt the process. That is why this year’s hotter and drier conditions have brought an unexpected windfall. According to the Cirebon Regency Food Security and Fisheries Agency, salt production has surged dramatically compared with the same period last year. “In the same month last year, production was only around 25-30 metric tonnes. This year, it has already reached 600 tonnes," an official said, adding that farmers were hoping the dry spell would extend into September-November to further boost harvests.
The contrast is reflected nationally as well. During the previous El Nino in 2023, Indonesia produced around 2.5 million tonnes of salt. Last year, however, output dropped to 1 million tonnes as wetter La Nina conditions shortened the dry season. Indonesia’s weather agency has warned that El Nino is likely to persist into early 2027. While that outlook has prompted authorities to advise crop farmers to adjust planting schedules, salt farmers see it differently. “My hope is that the drought will last longer, so that I can earn more money, store enough salt and meet my daily needs," said salt farmer Darminto. “If the salt season is short, what else can I do? I’m just a labourer." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Shankhyaneel Sarkar Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a chief sub editor at News18.
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