For the first time in Sri Lanka's salt industry history, the country is set to export salt crystals to Japan, Lanka Salt Chairman Nandana Dissanayake said.

He said the exports would comprise double washed and single crushed salt crystals, with the company planning to utilise its Bundala Saltern for the initiative.

"A team of Japanese investors visited our office in Hambantota with this proposal, and we suggested allocating the Bundala plant for this initiative," Dissanayake said.

He said the Japanese investors were satisfied with the standards of the saltern and added that Sri Lanka hopes to dispatch its first shipment by the end of this year.

The Chairman said this would mark the first time in history that the saltern would generate foreign exchange earnings for the company and the country through exports.

Meanwhile, Dissanayake said all three salterns operated by Lanka Salt have exceeded their production targets and the company expects to harvest around 95,000 metric tonnes of salt this season.

"We have already collected around 42,000 MT in July, exceeding our target for the end of the month," he said.

"We estimate a harvest in excess of 55,000 MT from the Hambantota Salt Plain, 22,500 MT from Palatupana and a further 18,500 MT from Bundala."

He said by the end of the year, the company expects to maintain sufficient stocks to meet domestic requirements for around one-and-a-half years, eliminating the need for further salt imports.

"However, the country still imports PVD salt, and we are now in the process of manufacturing PVD salt to reduce imports," he added.

Dissanayake attributed the strong harvest to favourable weather conditions and the introduction of new techniques aimed at improving salt production efficiency.