Semarang, C Java, Antara Jateng - The Central Java administration plans to build factories to produce high quality salt to improve the welfare of the local salt farmers.

"Currently five pilot projects of salt factory are being prepared," Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo said here on Tuesday.

Ganjar said factories to produce high quality salt need to be built immediately in Central Java as the province is a potential producer of salt especially its northern coastal areas.

Unfortunately the quality of farmers' salt in that area is relatively low that the price is also low, he said.

The provincial administration has discussed the plan with a number of relevant experts, the governor said.

"There has been talk on the possibility of producing high quality salt," he said.

He said so far the price of farmers' salt in northern coastal area of Central Java has been very low at around Rp350 per kilogram.

With the factories the quality of salt would be improved and the price could rise to an ideal level of Rp650 per kg, he said.

Deputy chairman of the regional legislative assembly Yudi Sancoyo asked the regional administration to address the condition of the salt farmers in the region.

"It is feared that the price of farmers' salt would drop in this year's grand harvest. Instead of gaining from the grand harvest the farmers would likely suffer losses," he said.