Indonesia’s Salt Farmers: Climate & Costs Threaten a Sun-and-Sea Way of Life

The price of essential plastic sheeting used in the final stage of salt evaporation in Cirebon, Indonesia, has risen from 2.2 million rupiah, approximately 125 U.S. Dollars, to 3 million rupiah per batch.

In the port city of Cirebon on Java island, families have relied for generations on the evaporation of seawater in shallow coastal ponds to produce crystalline salt. The process is heavily dependent on intense sunlight and long periods of uninterrupted dry weather. However, farmers in the region report that this environmental rhythm has become increasingly unpredictable, leading to declining yields.

Ipin, a 38-year-old farmer in Rawaurip village, described the recent challenges as a “wet dry season,” noting that rain has frequently fallen during periods when sunlight is critical for production. Because salt production requires consistent dry days, a single downpour can destroy weeks of labor.

Beyond erratic rainfall, rising tidal waters have emerged as a significant threat to the low-lying salt fields. Raihan, 39, who returned to full-time farming in 2015 after living in Jakarta, stated that tidal floods are more damaging than rain, often forcing farmers to restart the entire production process from the beginning.

These environmental pressures have forced local producers to diversify their income streams to survive the months when salt production is impossible. During the wet season, Raihan grows corn, chili, and vegetables to supplement his earnings, citing the necessity of adapting to a schedule dictated by nature.

The increase in operational costs is compounding the climate-related losses. The plastic sheeting used for final evaporation is a one-time-use material, and its rising cost has further tightened profit margins for family-run operations. Farmers indicate that the combination of weather instability and market price fluctuations has pushed many of these small-scale operations toward the brink of financial collapse.