Why Salt Farmers Risk Their Lives To Harvest Desert Salt For $4 A Ton | Big Business

India is one of the world's top salt producers. Most of the country's salt comes from the desert of the Little Rann of Kutch. Here, the Agariya people do the dangerous job of farming salt. They face extreme temperatures of 118 degrees Fahrenheit, skin diseases from the harsh sun and saltwater, and blindness from light reflecting on the white landscape. They make just $4 a ton, while traders take home most of the profits. So how did the Agariyas become trapped in the big business of salt? We head to India to find out.
Editor's Note: This video omitted the credit of Raunaq Chopra. He was both a field producer and videographer.
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Why Salt Farmers Risk Their Lives To Harvest Desert Salt For $4 A Ton | Big Business

[@danparish1344]

Keeping the farmers poor means they can’t invest in the tools to refine the salt themselves, it’s really vicious

[@Angela-pj5xy]

@@zackcarl7861 The government owns the land, not the small traders and the salt farmers lease it.

[@Traveler-30]

Yep, that is what gigantic com0anies are about. They are greedy

[@zackcarl7861]

@@Angela-pj5xy that's what I said

[@lancelotf.x3619]

and for vast farmers in developing word, they won't buy more danced tools. culture and social make them so.

[@ChangedNames]

@@zackcarl7861 no no, big companies tried to cut through and own lands by the good grace of the indian government, but then people protested Also you make it sound like the middle men cant be controlled and told what to do

[@FarmerJay90]

I tried farming salt in India as part of a volunteer experience. The dry heat is worse than a hair dryer up your nose with only warm water to drink. This job is unbelievably hard its like a 10 hour gym session for them they make it look easy. If you can help them store that water and transform it into drinking water you will help them in incredible ways. Local ppl have underground storage tanks with tortoise to help keep their drinking water clean. Unbelievably smart people, give them an idea and they will put it into practice.

[@foegettergames252]

Smart would be choosing a vocation that the local environment supports. Scratching for a pinch of salt from the desert is just not a good idea compared to separating from salt water, which is substantially easier and provides clean water as well.

[@lmlh7967]

How does the tortoise keep the water clean? I thought they were salmonella carriers? Genuine question

[@FarmerJay90]

@@lmlh7967 I thought so too but it seems to work and they have been doing it for a long time. I think they do it to keep parasites out of the water I couldn't get a full explanation when I was there

[@worldcitizeng6507]

Reminded me of my 35 days journey in Egypt and Jordan in September/October 2021. So hot I can't even function. I kept my bottle water in hostel freezer at night. Took it out when I was out & about visiting temples

[@kunjunction1]

@@lmlh7967 salmonella can be killed with enough salt. id say they have enough of it there

[@xenocide1307]

Absolutely disgusting how so many of the raw producers doing all the dangerous back breaking work across so many industries are taken advantage of by their own governments and don't even make enough to better their lives of those of their children. The salt farmers need a satisfactory minimum market price, land ownership, decriminalization of all their agricultural acts, and more government assistance. There also needs to be legislation that punishes salt refiners for Black Listing salt farmers.

[@calypsohandjack9278]

They're brown. Don't care.

[@FrostyBud777]

Governments and corporations have ruined earth.... lets not talk about the millions suffering each year cause fast food is cheap and organic isn't.... chips isntead of small 5 dollar quacamole... etc.

[@calypsohandjack9278]

@@FrostyBud777 they’re not white. Don’t care.

[@themonsterunderyourbed9408]

Actually, government should stay the fk out of everything.

[@jayrowe6473]

@@themonsterunderyourbed9408 Bingo!

[@kimilifeinjapan5198]

I've learnt about the poverty problem from textbook but got totally shocked seeing it real in the video. The farmers should be respected not only because of the hard works but the positive attitude towards lives. Feel blessed to what we have and complain less when encountering dilemmas

[@davidfigueroa7949]

When I'm having a horrible day watching stuff like this humbles me real quick.

[@gand5231]

For sure man

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Real Salt

[@Chowlife]

Humbled real quick.

[@Redacted341]

@@repentandbelieveinjesuschr5875 bro shut up you have sinned aswell

[@jakobjakol4361]

@@repentandbelieveinjesuschr5875 jesus hates you

[@mayankprajapat4591]

Salt is very cheap in India like 1kg of less than 10 cents but these people do a lot of hardwork and they should be paid more.

[@rwik....170]

Salt can produce easily. I think they are the one that need to change work.

[@skulakk1360]

Hey it’s simpleton rwik

[@ashleysuhan3694]

@@rwik....170 What an idea!! You should be the next prime minister

[@MonsterNinjaz]

sry all the money went to that bakchoe and dump truck

[@sagarthorat9175]

Lol. And then you will complain that Salt is expensive. Labour is cheap in India. Logistics are expensive. If you want them to be paid more, the manufacturers will add that cost to price of the salt which consumer will have to bear.. And then Bakchod like you will complain about rising prices. Pay your maids and labourers under you extra first and then Gyaan baato on internet.

[@1world1heartjake]

I was wondering where Square got the inspiration for the Rosalians in Triangle Strategy, and I have to say....it's terrifying to think people are suffering like this in something that isn't fiction...

[@rashadhouston]

0:21 His eyes, wow. Calm yet strong spirit. 🙏🏽✨

[@redtyto5399]

To put that into perspective, one kg of sea salt costs about $ 1.91 in my local supermarket - so a ton is about $ 1910. Pretty amazing how huge the margins are.

[@CheddarCheeseBandit]

Not really, that’s repackaging, marketing, transportation, lots of machinery, change of hands and expenses along the way. Your grocery store probably only sells it for twice what they buy it for.

[@NaderNabilart]

@@CheddarCheeseBandit The compounding margins are very inefficient. A lot of middle-men take unearned margins and the actual producers of goods earn the least piece of these margins. Unethical would be an understatement.

[@anengineerandacat]

@@NaderNabilart Issue is others have scaled the raw material production up to the point their operation is too inefficient, most countries have a few production facilities to do this; hell the US has like > 90% of it's needed salt production coming out of just seven of it's states. Best thing they could do is try to do the entire processing chain, maybe multi-market by offering their salt as no heavy machinery used etc but that requires a lot of up front investment they likely don't have.

[@bearmahri4876]

@@CheddarCheeseBandit You barely need to market salt Its practically essential

[@treatb09]

Where the hell are you buying sea salt for 2$ a kg?! Its like 1$ an oz

[@rejinraj1599]

Good piece of reporting guys. And I agree, these poor people should receive a fair price for the work they do.

[@SafavidAfsharid3197]

Yeah they should be paid 1000 USD a month, the amount a doctor earns.

[@sleepycowboy18]

@@SafavidAfsharid3197 no one is saying that lmao

[@queenmommie8295]

TMH God will pay back all who have judged them vengeance is mine saith Yahawah TMH God. APTTMHY

[@TimothyWhiteheadzm]

Then you don't believe in capitalism. Unfortunately capitalism does not reward work based on fairness. It causes competition which means the people at the bottom of the labor chain always end up just able to survive on their income and no more. The only ways to stop that happening are trade unions or economic systems other than capitalism. The problem is the poorest laborers are also the least educated and so don't realize that they should start a union, and don't know how best to run one if they do. I personally favor a universal basic income to help with situations like this. It doesn't solve everything, but it helps.

[@firstlast6405]

Only if u pay more for salt they should be getting paid more

[@jcdeton72]

Why are all the hard working people being treated so poorly? Meanwhile streamers sit all day in a chair being stupid and making more money than anyone who is being productive and contributing to society :(

[@Blewlongmun]

Weird nudge at streamers, they’re entertainers for tons of people. Salt guys just deserve equal treatment, they both serve billions of people and should be rewarded fairly.

[@QuoteQuestAI]

These people deserve respect and must be payed a livable wage.The Salt "traders" are using the workers! Seeing people being used like this outrages me, it's disgusting!

[@beamboy14526]

these people need to move and find work elsewhere.

[@rectorx1]

They should'nt have to suffer so much to produce such a necessity to the world. Would be great to see people band together and get these guys the best tools and improved lifestyle they deserve

[@worldcitizeng6507]

Hopefully some non profit organizations can help

[@oO0Xenos0Oo]

Salt is not hard to come by as you can guess from the low prices. The world doesnt need this backbreaking work to produce enough salt. But these people want/have to make living from producing salt by hand in a desert anyway because its the only thing they know.

[@rectorx1]

@@oO0Xenos0Oo agree. I always think about humanity knowing inhumanity exists. Should treat your farmers well for better supplies don't you think?

[@fusionxtras]

@@rectorx1 there are some really great supplies that dont require this kind of labor. Slaves at least had decent tools to use. They could do all sorts of manual labor that isnt as low paying. Going to a city to be a cart walker pays more and causes less suffering. Perhaps it isnt about the money, maybe that is just their dharma.

[@clawsewitz4316]

The world tried that, it was called colonialism. Not a total failure in areas that the west could get their ideas to, before the Marxist came along and cultivated class envy, which is very easy to sell to people on the bottom, like those who read Business Insider. Telling primitive that they are poor because the clever white man is stealing your resources is a much easier pill to swallow than ' you're are backwards and weird so stop doing things like us or you'll always be that way.'

[@udaykale]

I am ashamed that I had to see this story on a foreign media channel rather than an Indian one. This just goes to show how priorities of Indian media are messed up. Finally great piece of reporting by Business Insider. Keep up the good work!

[@castorchua]

Seems like most stories from India come with comments from citizens expressing shame.

[@ZenobiaofPalmyra]

Don't kick yourself too hard: It's like this everywhere.

[@HoneyThebeee]

I mean we needs fund to do all this your emotions doesnt cost much. these foreign outlets have money to show mostly bad conditions of developing countries.

[@ishikinokami1575]

Doordarshan covered it long long agooooo. Also,even in the US,media outlets like CNN and Fox don't report on such issues. Why? Because media all around the world is owned by the capitalists and they don't want farmers to earn more. Stop blaming politics or Indian journos. Blame capitalism

[@_PatrickO]

Indian media is all right wing fox news or RT style garbage. Plus these farmers are doing it to themselves. It is laughable seeing a guy manually drag tools over the entire surface area of these salt pools. These people aren't needed, they are trying to compete with industrialized operations that use equipment to do 100 times the surface area in the same amount of time.

[@atharvasaple7021]

We have come a long way as Indians, from the the salt satyagraha movement led by Mahatma Ghandi as one of the first stepping stones to freedom, to now providing table salt detergents etc. to the common household, massive respect to these workers, its a shame how little they get paid compared to the industrialists, capitalism at its fines. Stuff like this really humbles me.

[@yuusucc996]

Stop street shitting

[@jonny-rg1hv]

I love these videos - truly eye-opening! wish Business Insider would include a way for us all to donate directly to the subjects of their videos. Would love the opportunity to give directly to people like this

[@nimeshbpatel23]

I am from same state and know about them but the harsh conditions I didn’t have any clue before this video .

[@Readbooks6800]

It is nice to see that Business Insiders gives sight of every small community around the different parts of world and makes everyone aware about their work ,which is very much essential.

[@Jenvlogs404]

First stay away from middIemen like Rafiq Rahim! Never have good intentions.

[@patrick7742]

These people are indentured slaves, why do you see this as a nice insight? This made me furious.

[@laurasilina80]

@@patrick7742 I don't think they meant it that way. Yes, I will agree with them on the fact that it is nice to see them bring a major issue to a bigger part of the general public, but it's all they can do. There obviously can be rules and regulations made to try to solve this issue, but you have to remember- that's their main income source- take that away- they don't earn any more. And that brings up even more problems. There are many organizations, who're trying to either solve the issue or at least regulate it for the safety of ppl. I think every sane person watching this will get furious about this. Its the 21 century- everyone should have right to do whatever their heart loves, but sadly it's not possible in the less modernised countries. :)

[@patrick7742]

@@laurasilina80 I was replying to the person over me who deleted their comment.

[@laurasilina80]

@@patrick7742 ohhh okey

[@brandonmcgillis]

These guys took combing the desert to a whole new level.

[@nickstonehenge]

we aint found shit

[@toastyovens8777]

Literally

[@wilsonfish1340]

Amogus

[@nihilist1680]

@@nickstonehenge *Colonel Sandurz:* ''Are we being too literal?'' *Dark Helmet:* ''No you fool, we're following orders. We were told to comb the desert so we're combing it.''

[@Kurama420]

@@nihilist1680 Sir, our radars are... JAM

[@humandiii]

Honestly thankful for all the delicious meals these people have brought me hope they bring ethics to this business

[@q_p7824]

“this rake cost 22 dollars too expensive for many of the farmers” too cheap for most of us

[@calypsohandjack9278]

They're brown. Don't care.

[@seanwhetstone2323]

"Government subsidized solar panels to power the pumps" (starts ancient hit and miss engine), what a legend!

[@abhijeet800]

exactly🤣🤣

[@StopGoTV]

🤠

[@avocado1700]

They use it to light up their homes at night and charge their smartphones😏

[@afrosymphony8207]

😂

[@foegettergames252]

@@avocado1700 "Modern day slaves." Homie playing Fortnite on his PS4 in the background while listening to Doja on his iPhone 11

[@ARK1X]

$4 a ton is outrageous😥

[@larsstougaard7097]

Yes not salty priced

[@ackermanlevi3265]

It's 3rd world country

[@ackermanlevi3265]

It's 3rd world country w

[@yustianpratama]

Too cheap

[@anustubhmishra]

@@ackermanlevi3265 even in india its way too cheap. they should be atleast paid 10 times this

[@justgay]

that's some pretty cool stuff!

[@NONAMENONONAME]

This is heartbreaking. Makes you value the little that you have.

[@markbaker2370]

So damn true 😊

[@SerielThriller]

"these solar panels power the pump" - starts up petrol engine.

[@childemperortm5328]

Lami ang magic sarap part

[@transmaster]

The hit-n-miss Diesel is reliable and very cheap to operate.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

its a smokey diesel engine

[@ackermanlevi3265]

Lol

[@kaashee]

Stoppppp!!!!

[@tdb7992]

I have visited salt lakes in the outback of Australia and they're certainly not the type of place you would want to work let alone live. It's generally absolutely freezing cold at night and insanely hot during the day. Life barely exists.

[@petertraurig5728]

3:42 so the govenment subsidized solar panels power their diesel generator? I need that too😂

[@locklanh]

When doing international pieces like these, it would be preferable to include unit conversions from imperial units. Nobody outside the US understands 113 degrees Farenheit intuitively, and a piece on Indian economics will draw a wide, multi-national audience if you make it accessible for them.

[@spritemon98]

I think it's like 40 degrees Celsius? Or around that number

[@islandsunset]

It should always be SI units. Only few people know what a 240 mile journey or 113° F tempvactually means.

[@locklanh]

@@islandsunset exactly!

[@locklanh]

@@spritemon98 47 turns out! which is intense, and valuable context

[@spritemon98]

@@locklanh aye I was close!! I knew it was 40 something

[@pvp6077]

I always thought it's strange how cheap salt is on the shelf when it takes so much effort to mine, harvest, refine, and transport it, and now I know why. They pay practically nothing to the people actually working for it and send the profits up to the owners, ceos, and gov't instead of the people who give their lives to provide it.

[@vukasin2323]

This is a primitive way to do this, you don't buy this salt it is for local use. It costs 4 dollars a ton because that is how much it would cost to buy from big producers.

[@foegettergames252]

Salt is extemely easy to harvest. The majority of the planet is harvestable salt water. You can literally leave water out and get salt. That's how the Japanese discovered it. What they are doing in those deserts is "squeezing blood from a stone," ie they are using an objectively lesser technique and are trying to pretend like it's equivalent. If you harvest a whole field of wheat with scissors, you should not be surprised when your neighbor outperforms your harvest by using a sickle.

[@hendrikheim5665]

@@CaptainHalodude These people are selling their salt for 0,003€/kg. Even a 30 fold increase in what they get wouldn't increase the price by anything really.

[@notahotshot]

@@hendrikheim5665, wait, you're saying that a thirty fold increase in the cost to produce wouldn't increase the consumer market price? Wow!

[@hendrikheim5665]

@@notahotshot Same as x2 or X8. But they'd take a lot more to spend.

[@TheDukeOfChutney]

@3:44 government subsides solar power to pump out the water. @3:52 starts a 2 stroke engine XD dying

[@sixthgatebass]

It's wild how this is compelling enough to make interesting documentaries but not compelling enough to even consider paying another cent for salt

[@ChadWilson]

These families could, literally, make more money by doing anything else. The Indian government should put a stop to this abusive process.

[@ChadWilson]

Or, since their method is so destructive, simply put a stop to it. There are other ways of getting salt.

[@megajatt123]

You are making too much sense The poor must be allowed to, freely without paying even according to their ability, use government land and public resources(groundwater) to make a profit.

[@megajatt123]

@Block Lord Ok but then atleast stop the cretin from reproducing and brining more creatures like themselves to a miserable existence.

[@rocky4219771]

Salt you eating is demand and so the supply.. so will you stop eating salt.. ?loose remark is good to say but think deep .. real problem is west .. who consume consume and cause problem to developing world..

[@indianhistorybuff]

@pushpa Lol this is what would have happened in new farm laws. This is what happens when there is no MSP no Mandi and no regulations to protect farmers. BTW farm laws don't affect salt. Educate yourself.

[@willienelsongonzalez4609]

Basically, salt traders deliberately underpay the salt farmers who then have to borrow from the salt traders to get by. The salt traders will then jack up their prices by 60 times per ton when selling the salt compared to what they bought the salt from the farmers eg farmers may sell a ton of salt from $2-5 but the traders will sell at $120-300 per ton.

[@vladimirnekic3241]

Yeah, what's wrong with that? Problem is these people don't come together to form a union. Welcome to the NOMAD life. Oh and Capitalism. Isn't money great !!!

[@theCosmicQueen]

this is how the upper classes have always exploited the lower classes in india. worse than most places.

[@hognosemyan]

@@theCosmicQueen This is how Capitalism works-- this isn't just India. Replace the caste system with working-class/poor vs ruling-class/rich and it's the same thing.

[@mmaybee2353]

so many angry poor people, good luck

[@iwankazlow2268]

@@hognosemyan Nah, a capitalist would industrialize and 95+% of the workers farming salt would loose the job, while he would take a greater cut in the end. Salt facilities are highly efficient in other parts of the world. Those workers are lucky that their work is stigmatized and the government declared the zone a national reservoir where only they can work. And a lot of people here talk about salt prices in their local markets, be it indians or others. That's the consumer end price, with trader loss of 20-25 % mass loss just because they deliver inpure salt and further processing is needed, like said in the video. Then his transport cost, labour cost, factory cost, profit margin, taxes. Then it's sold to a distributor which has the same costs besides processing, or directly to a bigger market, with again market labour cost, taxes, needed profit. They certainly don't live an easy life, but it's not a job where you get rich nor can they compere in production with others besides with low wages. In the end, they do their job like it was done for over a century. Somewhat reminds me of a lot of business insider dokus about other fields were people struggle in an industy by working in todays world like their grand grand parents did.

[@JROME69]

I hope despite all their challenges they have a happy life with their friends and family.

[@sanguineel]

"The government-provided solar panels power the pumps" *Shows a combustion engine firing up

[@karalee6522]

This makes me sad that I can walk literally over to my local grocery and buy a giant bag of salt for a few dollars or ship it from amazon without even moving from my spot right now. Meanwhile these people spend their 6 months slaving away just get paid $4 dollars a ton. Horrible.

[@gerald4027]

The cost of living is less in there country. People in Mississippi get paid less than the people in New York because the price of living is less in Mississippi than New York.

[@MissMiserize]

@@gerald4027 As an Indian, it's still so low that it's disgusting that they get paid that little. Beggers in India can get more for less work. This really is nothing. I'm shocked that this is even sustainable. Yes, you can live on less money here, but you still need SOME money right?

[@Jose-wd6kn]

@@gerald4027 just look at how they’re living. you think 4 dollars is enough for them?

[@evolburd5768]

@@Jose-wd6kn its almost like this video gives a negative depiction of their situation so that they will get more clicks.

[@MrCmon113]

You're giving them a job they obviously prefer to everything else.

[@makua5615]

They are the proverbial “salt of the earth”, truly under appreciated and however most important!

[@foegettergames252]

@Libuse Young you do realize that this is like an extenely tiny portion of the world's salt? and that like 99% of what you get at the store came from a completely mechanized process in a fairly small facility? You do not need sprawling deserts for salt.

[@Susweca5569]

Eternal shame on the greedy and exploitative companies that pay them so little.

[@SkyOceanBleu]

Bless these souls who make our lives better. I can’t begin to express my gratitude. I hope their lives improve.

[@jaelzion]

So many people around the world live hard lives. I'm deeply grateful for the time and location in which I was born. Hopefully, the salt farmers can organize in a way that will give them a fairer return for their labor. It's sad to see the little girl and realize that there is a good chance she will grow up to do the same kind of backbreaking labor her mother does.

[@infinity-hr3qi]

no not necessary, she can get education nd that too free .

[@rampage3337]

yeah you mean places around the world like USA? USA is literally a 1st world 3rd world country that enjoy som of the highest taxes least benefits from taxes and little to no workers rights or regulations on how they can be treated. people who have it bad are forced to have 2 jobs to be able to afford a living and because they got 2jobs they can't improve their life and because they are broke they can't get educated. meaning people are just stuck in poverty and never able to get out. all that while believing they have it good and beter than Europe where minimum wage can support a living and where anyone can educate themselves and improve their lives while not having to worry about whether health insurance will cover their hospital trip or not. oh and paying less taxes while enjoying all those benefits

[@foegettergames252]

@@rampage3337 how racist you gotta be to assume India is some cess pit? What of your American South? There are more cases of incest in your Alabama than the rest of the entire world. These people are just stupid. India has lots of opportunity. You can come to city and get a tech job that'll teach you education easily. USA is not magic land of gold and opportunity. You Americans are so ignorant, you do not even know the rest of the world mocks you. Your Trump was like American kids cartoon with clowns throwing pies

[@Velossitee]

Funny enough I wish I were in their place as I do no work whatsoever...The government literally just gives me money because I'm disabled I hate it and had to choose it due to significant problems in my life. Nobody trusts an aspergers person to work they always think they can manage completely on their own but they only need a nudge in the right direction to work correctly otherwise we all freak out because we don't know what to do next after the first directions were given... so many people aren't getting the things they need and it feels like its all topsy turvy. and frankly, farming salt sounds pretty straightforward I think I could do that constantly nonstop for days until a break on the weekends with good pay and working conditions and safety protocols. Like someone else said, they really need some gear, they get too much salt intake just from walking on the stuff. I'm sure they don't salt their food anyway though so it should be fine. I love the foods they have over there...very herbal and aromatic...fresh and NATURAL...

[@Flemdragon]

I would happily pay more for salt. I never knew it took so much work. However not just for more profits I want it to go to the workers.

[@peoplez129]

Your salt doesn't come from these people. Why do you think every poor person in the world is only poor because they're working for pennies to supply you? Jesus. Your self depreciation is a disease on mankind.

[@HeatForce]

I don't think consumers paying more will help. More like the companies should reinvest some of that profit into better equipment for these farmers. Medical too.

[@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305]

lol not me.. its the corporations that need to pay them more and maybe not collect 50m paychecks yearly for a ceo

[@tylerfricks7369]

Salt you consume probably originated in your country. Almost every country has a salt mine. Most US salt comes from Kansas if I recall. They have modern equipment and wages.

[@WhiteWolfos]

@@tylerfricks7369 I was going to say salt lake, Utah 😅 but it's both central utah and Kansas.

[@rioscardot]

118°F = 47.78°C thank you so so much for the reference

[@ScrewEyes]

"Here are some solar panels from the government that powers everything yaaaayyy" immediately shows dude firing up a gas pump lmao

[@shubham4845]

Writing from Adesar, area called Little Runn of kutch! Those people are really hard working! I have seen salt factories around town and it is painful knowing that these workers paid really less!

[@breakingindonesia8199]

Kira kira mereka di bayar berapa rupee perhari?

[@dhenoyznero]

Almost similar in Indonesia, the price of local farmers' salt is only valued at $ 7 = 1 ton But because Indonesia needs more salt then the government imports salt from abroad at a price of $70 for 1 ton and this is very crazy. It's really a sad for local traditional salt farmers and the government is really shit.

[@Yuu-Na]

The most common salt in the Market is "refina" $1/kg

[@tui5004]

Bang kita impor garam tambang bukan ngak bisa dibandingkan dengan garam dari petani

[@mzhlop4623]

this comment is wrong. The government only import the industrial salt, not the consumption. Since the standard of industry is different, that's the reason we import it.

[@ChandranPrema123]

This is State Govt not Central .That's why.Pakistan and China controls minority in India and say we are worried about India

[@ferdiankhu]

Beda garam yang dari madura dan garam yang diimpor. Kualitasnya beda jauh makanya pemerintah perlu impor. Kalau industri kosmetik dan lainnya pake garam yang kadarnya rendah ya bisa menurun kualitas barangnya.... Coba riset dulu sebelum komentar....

[@caterinagiorgioparducci573]

Imagine working in these conditions for months on end. You manage to make tens of those huge salt mountains and then... it rains.

[@faserge2397]

Beautiful work!

[@satriaamiluhur622]

I got tiny blisters in my hand when i was helping my relatives preparing brine for making salted fish. Fortunately they went away after a day. Can't imagine getting exposed to salt for such a long time

[@gaberoyalll]

Gosh even the smallest cut hurts when salt get in it. I can only imagine these guys

[@nylenik4340]

@@gaberoyalll and they just have to keep going. While going blind 😭

[@Abyssal2808]

@Sean Hunter How is getting a blister weak?

[@lance9249]

@@Abyssal2808 Just some guy acting tough on the internet

[@foegettergames252]

@@Abyssal2808 because only weak, soft hands can blister. If you work to better yourself your hands literally harden. That's why handshakes have been important, because someone can be dressed up pretty like a Senator but they can't hide how soft their hands are. It's about doing the work yourself vs forcing other to do things for you. Even fat, rich people can have hard hands if they work for them.

[@theplaguepadart3743]

Thank you for showing this video. It really opens my eyes on the things we take for granted in places like the united states. something as common as salt, these people are pretty much giving their lives for.

[@calypsohandjack9278]

They're brown. Don't care.

[@TheLasombra077]

Wow. Someone grew up sheltered

[@theplaguepadart3743]

@Kaeble You're absolutely right. I don't go to resorts or travel. Unless a person is upper class, or middle class there are more important things to spend money on. My point was that it's easy in the United states of America to forget all the hard work that goes into every day things.

[@WokenRetard]

Cuz they get it like monkeys in the 2000s

[@owendawson2769]

@@WokenRetard as if they had the means to do it any other way? They're stuck in a loop of perpetual poverty- they don't have enough money to improve the technology or ways of harvesting things, and no one is just giving it to them for free. They're doing it the only way they can. Doesn't really call for an out of touch racist comment

[@arjen1315]

3:44 Doesn't really look like a solar powered pump to me lol

[@daviddavidson2357]

Those salt farmers should get online and go to twitter. Couple of posts a day and they'll be raking in hundreds of tons of salt.

[@trekkingalbertosaur8870]

They should make Inuit style eye protection to prevent snow/salt blindness (eg narrow eye slits cut into wood or bone goggles)

[@crispysocksss]

do u think they are smart enough?

[@megg10]

@@crispysocksss why do you ask?

[@fourdoorsmorehoes]

@@crispysocksss even buying $1 sunglasses would help, but nobody was wearing any

[@Angultra]

Pretty sad some go blind from the sun reflection, they should include some cheap sunglasses along with the boots they provide.

[@vladimir8035]

@@crispysocksss Implying Eskimos are smart?

[@simpleguy1152]

This is what farm laws were there to adress this issue of farmers being exploited by the merchants/middleman .... but i guess the story continues ..millions of such farmers have seen no change in their dire situation

[@subhmaypatra5562]

Congress/CPI(M)/AAP are more dangerous for India than Pakistan or China.

[@anonymouslyopinionated656]

arrey bhai woh govt. mandi ke liye tha, this is different.

[@indianhistorybuff]

Lol this is what would have happened in new farm laws. This is what happens when there is no MSP no Mandi and no regulations to protect farmers.

[@lokket9995]

No farmers who actually are farmers are exploited by people who claim to be farmers, the recent protest against farm laws were done by people who weren't farmers to begin with.

[@freesoul3466]

With this farm laws . All MSP crop farmers will become new Agariayas. Here Agariayas facing problem of business cartelization and no MSP problem. They are asking MSP.

[@yourenemysfriend9069]

That salt trader looked exactly how I imagined a greedy merchant to look like.

[@pandapirate25yearsago33]

Shame on the people who exploit these brave workers.

[@siyabhargava8700]

Now after watching this, I have a huge respect for these people 🙏🙏🙏who are the reason we have salt on our plate. On top of that, it's really sad to know😭 that they've to go through so much for that, what's more they're not even getting paid enough.😡

[@queenmommie8295]

They are the American black people of there land. We know your pain and have walking in your shoes. Fight back against your oppressor's . 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

[@brazy6491]

@@queenmommie8295 if you think american living standards relate to this at all your delusional

[@GopalSingh01]

Well according to law they are not suppose to harvest salt there as mentioned in the video if this was China they would have been jailed as the matter of fact. Government of India made a silent pact with the farmers but Traders like Rafeeq are putting the farmers in debt trap.

[@vladimirnekic3241]

@@GopalSingh01 More like the American Indians, land that was taken from them. Period. Watch the video again.

[@bK2pa]

@@queenmommie8295 lmfao

[@IKEMENOsakaman]

Thousand of years of nature for just a couple of dollars!? Wow!

[@masheura]

Wdym? You're pitying the salt bro?😂

[@anzarm.a8547]

Thats india

[@johnl.7754]

Well it’s better then salt being worth the same as gold

[@haggielady]

@@johnl.7754 check your history. Salt was more valuable than gold at one time.

[@johnl.7754]

@@haggielady I know that’s why I gave that example

[@k.mankeiru8359]

The location is a desert, the degrees in fahrenite good job narrator

[@Proud-NEPALI]

Thank you for showing the conditions of one of the Untouchable Community of india These people are known as Dalits and they face physical abuse, Discrimination, Oppression, no healthcare and education, this happens to them everyday in india and Nepal.

[@johngroll9186]

Super dark sunglasses 😎 would reduce some of the blindness

[@nmm5214]

They deserve the proper foot, hand and eyewear to be protected as they harvest an essential item. Iodine in the salt has the ability to improve the immune system. And even salt that lacks iodine helps regulate certain hormones when consumed moderately.

[@mp40submachinegun81]

an essential item which is produced with far more efficient means elsewhere and has a very low demand compared to other commodities due to the ammount that can be produced with little effort. they deserve to move on to better industries which are sustainable and actually provide enough value to produce a living wage.

[@TNTspaz]

They need help from the government to move out of the salt industry. It's literally produced everywhere in the world and without the need of these poor working conditions. It's why they don't make very much money from it in the first place

[@tuckerbugeater]

@@mp40submachinegun81 They should be forcibly sterilized.

[@foegettergames252]

Yea, like maybe one of the four shirts every dude wears "for the decency of God." Like, does your God really care that much about how many shirts you wear? How about cutting up one of those to make a pair of sandals?

[@chronological3957]

@@mp40submachinegun81 how much they're making is actually above the average indian salary by twofold.

[@Benni777]

$4per ton is just inhumane. How the hell are they supposed to live?? 🤦🏻‍♀️😪

[@megajatt123]

They're not. They weren't supposed to be born. These creatures exist because India fucked over an entire state by the introduction of water and fertilizer intensive breeds of grain crops, the state in question being punjab; and because India legalised Pharma Intellectual Property Theft. These 2 things caused such a huge explosion in the population of that 3rd world socialist hellhole that the entire world will suffer the consequences till the day the last human dies.

[@dv9239]

Let me introduce you to a magical concept called cost of living

[@MrCmon113]

They evidently live. Otherwise it would cost 5 dollars.

[@AsiaMinor12]

@@dv9239 well you can obviously research the cost of living/economy of India and realize that the payment is still far too low.

[@viz8746]

I wonder if anyone can tweet this link to the PMO and Narendra Modi’s Twitter account, along with Amitbhai and even the entire Indian cabinet if necessary. Sometimes our leaders simply don’t get the information, given how busy they are managing a huge country of 1.3 billion people. But I do believe our political leaders and civil servants at the center are good people and if something like this is brought to their attention, steps to remedy injustices will be taken on an urgent basis. Not everybody has the mindset to go on dharna and block highways outside Delhi to demand rights. And in instances like this, it is WE as Indians who must take proactive steps to bring such matters to the attention of appropriate authorities and seek remedy and justice as fellow Indians and fellow human beings.

[@Davesoft]

Interesting story. Nice seeing the process :)

[@richpaydirt]

As one of the most common minerals on earth, salt mining is a hard game even for commercial ventures with massive mechanized vehicles and modern equipment. This here is the definition of “piss poor”.

[@ianthompson2802]

And I imagine what salt does to the equipment just drains what little profits are to be made

[@agnidas5816]

not piss poor - lacking in knowledge. those boys are dressed better than most inner city kids ;)

[@MrLoowiz]

@@agnidas5816 Now you're just reaching it.

[@Mantium47]

@@ianthompson2802 We have a salt mine in town and as a millwright I am told to bring cheap tools into the mine. Once the tools reach the surface they instantly rust from the salt/moisture

[@whome4851]

I never knew there were such things as " farming salt". I guess I will have to appreciate salt next time I use it.

[@claverse5478]

Where exactly do you think it came from?

[@RoflcopterLamo]

@@claverse5478 From the great holy salt of everlasting life trees you dork. Where else could salt come from?🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

[@epajarjestys9981]

​@@claverse5478 from seawater and from underground salt mines. i think more salt for human consumption is produced from these than from desert salt farming as shown here.

[@zapador]

I wouldn't mind paying more for my salt if people didn't have to go through all of this. That's true for a lot of products.

[@lucio57ytb79]

To be fair, there are alternatives for many products that assure you that they are not made using unethical practices, but the truth is that a lot of people around the world are struggling in their own way, and greed by the rich is making most people choose the cheapest option for their purchases.

[@Evadooker]

government gets them solar panels but not shoes lol

[@storytimewithunclebill1998]

That is pretty cool they figured out how to harvest the salt like that. Sucks all that hard work doesnt add to a lot of money. Hopefully they find a way to make everyone happy. Got a new subscriber. Was fun to watch. Great video

[@jaisinha6378]

Thanks business insider for raising this issue, I always wondered why 0.5 kg salt was so cheap.

[@alladeenmdfkr2255]

everywhere the same,the one that works the hardest gets paid the lowest,while the second ones get the real money

[@deltamike33]

Government subsidized solar panels to power the pumps * starts a 1920's gasoline pump *

[@mitchwilliams6160]

Can you add a link to donate directly to the salt farmers? (Please like for visibility)

[@akhiljonnalagadda2132]

unfortnately its pretty much impossibe to ensure that funds go directly to them. all you can really do is visit them and donate directly :/ obviously not feasible for 99% of people

[@Penguirrel]

I'm confused. Near the beginning they mentioned the water has 10 times more saline than sea water but near the end they fear extracting too much ground water. Are people meant to be using super salinated water for some other purpose?

[@megajatt123]

The idea is that the water percolates into nearby areas

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

water can flow underground. perhaps when they lower the groundwater level in the salty area, non-salty groundwater flows in from areas around it. they certainly are evaporating a lot of water.

[@michaelharipersad9882]

@@Ass_of_Amalek That true, but they also said the rainy season is like 4 months. Shouldnt that be replenishing ground water? just my thoughts.

[@vemaraju]

@@michaelharipersad9882 this isn't not amazon rainforest, rains in deserts will take a lot time (hundreds or thousands of years) to replenish ground water.

[@srpacific]

Wait, you mean Insider might lie to people? Like saying the pumps are powered by solar but immediately show a gas powered engine? Or show clips suggesting they build some of it by hand when clearly you can see machine marks on the trenches?

[@queenjoyfulyouttubechannel]

I think they deserve more money cause this job is very dangerous in business inside thank you for showing us this video

[@kc-km8du]

I’m not saying they are not underpaid but selling for $260 a ton does not mean they are making $260 a ton. If that is what was meant then it is worded wrong and words have meaning. There are many costs along the way between the desert and its final destination of a dinner table or wherever. Many regular workers get paid off that $260 and yes whatever big company takes a cut too.

[@brandynhenry7107]

Not to mention the government(s) need a nice fat tribute usually in various forms both directly and indirectly for each step in the process along the way. Every single last one of those ultimately end up getting paid by the end buyer not the businesses and it'd blow people's minds through an entire process how much that ends up being

[@Vopo64]

Government should establish a cooperative for salt farmers simar to those established for dairy farmers in India and in Western countries.

[@ChandranPrema123]

That's why GST is necessary like why VAT exists?

[@lmy2366]

Or maybe crack down on anti-competitive pricing on behalf of salt traders. Through price negotiation between dealers and suppliers a market price is established, such is the nature of a market based system.

[@Vopo64]

@@lmy2366 that is very hard to prove and to enforce. A simpler solution that would probably be cheaper than the legal costs of enforcing that law would be a cooperative, and would probably be self financing once up and running.

[@tamanna4697]

We already have successful dairy cooperations, eg-Amul, it's the biggest dairy company here in India, there are thousands of local brands too. And yes I think there should be some promotion for salt also. I lived in this state (Gujarat) and they are lovely people, actually here they are known for their trade so when I saw this video I was actually shocked, I visited this place, there used to be a huge annual carnival and thousands of people used to come, sad to see these people exploited. I wish they get their fair amount of money.

[@lmy2366]

@@Vopo64 It is not at all hard to prove. If you purchase the salt for sixty times less than what you resell it for, that is very indicative of illegal activity. How do you think such laws are prosecuted here?

[@JigneshThummar]

Good to see Business Insider creating content from my home state, love to see such insights which even i cant see living back there, good to see people talking my language Gujarati, good coverage, hope something good will happen to these peoples lives soon

[@sagarvarsani7367]

It was nice to watch a video without having to read the subtitle

[@midxclappers4888]

Once again this will probably end up devastating the desert…it’s a shame we can’t just leave environments alone. Without human intervention…

[@acho510]

what do you propose to do with the farmers then

[@basantprasadsgarden8365]

I agree to pay Double or even the 4 times the Price I am paying at present for salt But, Agharia community should get a fair price for their hardwork $4 or ₹308 for 1000 kgs of Salt, it is outrageous

[@firstnlastnamethe3rd771]

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[@quackxhead]

With inflation in the US, I’m good.

[@LaFonteCheVi]

"fair price" It is a fair price. Their work is not even remotely valuable and the methods they use to extract it are horrible inefficient. Salt is not rare. Salt workers are not rare. Nothing about their job is necessary.

[@firstnlastnamethe3rd771]

@@LaFonteCheVi You've placed such low value on their lives so flippantly. Did it even enter your mind that it's necessary for them to survive?

[@basantprasadsgarden8365]

@@LaFonteCheVi yes, salt is the most abundant resource after the air, the water and the Soil on this planet So, I will suggest you, to spend a week without consuming any type of Salt or Salt containing edibles And share your experiences with us ,in this the same comment section It's only a matter of a weak, and today is Sunday, so you can start from tomorrow, and share your experience on next Sunday

[@GauravSharma-dy8xv]

Indians watching this video: OMG they should be paid moree 😭😭😭 Indians when salt prices increase: WTH is govt doing😠😠😠😠

[@martisbvk]

How much does salt cost where you live man? You noticed how salt sells for $240 a ton and the farmers get paid $4? How about paying the farmers $100 and $140 for the middle man. That keeps the price of salt the same.

[@blazingguyop]

Salt doesn't cost that much bro Are you buying it in tons?? Don't write anything just for the sake that you will get likes

[@GauravSharma-dy8xv]

@@blazingguyop you forgot that this is India where a person can kill another one for a samosa

[@GauravSharma-dy8xv]

@@martisbvk who will run the refineries if u stop paying middle man??? R they not doing business?

[@MILPICS]

@@GauravSharma-dy8xv Sorry are you living in parallel universe? A man kills other for a fookin samosa? 😑

[@parrishsells0116]

There is a fantastic documentary on this topic: My Name is Salt.

[@sdsfgsty]

They just need a pair of sunglasses sold $1 to save their eyes.

[@philipjdry1234]

It's worth it getting these people sunglasses and other reusable items to make their lives a little easier. And preferably easy to fix, and cheap

[@urusledge]

I'm struggling to understand the $260 per ton figure... table salt is like 3-5 dollars for a cannister that weighs a pound. 50lb bags of water softening salt cost like 30 bucks. Rock salt for melting ice is like 20 bucks for a 30 lb bag... where can I get this $260 per ton salt?

[@nuggets0717]

Wholesale price I’m guessing

[@Zed-Corps]

Mostly at wholesale markets.

[@machinist7230]

@@nuggets0717 Not only Wholesale price, but wholesale volume minimums - you probably have to buy train car loads to get it at that price.

[@timothy6687]

You have to be a scumbag salt dealer to get it at $0.13 per pound. This video broke my heart. The Argiyazy people deserve so much better than we all are treating them.

[@HandfulOfTranquility]

Your prices SUCK. Sam's club here in the US sells table salt for $1.46 for 4lbs. Water softener salt is $7 for a 40-50lb bag. Are you shopping whole foods perhaps?

[@zacharyahearn4069]

Makes me appreciate salt more.

[@drseuss5407]

Awesome people! Thank you

[@clublulu399]

My sympathy goes out to the hard working people providing the rest of the world with common goods.

[@stefensmith9522]

That's crazy, if the farmers could simply refine the salt themselves they would go from the bottom of their society to the top. The people at the top know this and use every tactic they can to keep them poor. Human nature at it's finest.

[@thesaltbaron2237]

Respect for the salt farmers

[@JohnSmith-td7hd]

A wasteland like that seems like the perfect place to mine, except it's so hot that the water must be evaporating like crazy. No wonder they're running out of ground water.

[@MashZ]

Instead of selling their whole production to industries, they should process some of their own salt in ancient labor intensive way and sell them to consumers and stores as a novelty product in 1 kg packs. That way they can earn a lot from a portion of their product with little sale.

[@MementoMoriGrizzly]

Needs a starting capital to do this and these people can't even afford a 22$ tool, so it's impossible for them.

[@Ryuuken24]

Salt fields are a real bad idea. The salt gets carried away by the wind, into fertile land, it kills the plant growth, which is why areas outside salts farms don't grow plants.

[@larsstougaard7097]

Yes it salts 🧂 everything around 🥣🍲🍚

[@Benni777]

Yes, and it doesn’t promote biodiversity!

[@sanjikaneki6226]

salting the ground the original war crime

[@lemonmane69]

not that there are a lot of plants growing nearby

[@anonymouslyopinionated656]

that's why it's in the middle of a desert?

[@MrChopemup]

I drove a enfield motorcycle through here in the 90s. Headed to Buhdj . Then went south to guijirat. . .Strange thing with these kids who are like 12 years old have skin wrinkles like they’re 30.. the colors at sunset were amazing…

[@loremipsum7873]

“These solar panels power the pumps” *cut to an ancient internal combustion engine*

[@NotoriousPyro]

These solar panels powering the pump are amazing, especially when they started up the 1920s hit and miss engine to power the pumps.

[@mariew4422]

As someone who likes to study culture and the financial imbalances in the world I appreciate all these documentaries you guys make ❤️

[@89vette1]

@3:52 mentions solar panels that power pumps then cuts to old hit and miss engine pumping water.

[@specialservicesequipment393]

Wow, that's an old Hit/Mis engine they're using to power their equipment. They used to use those to power pumping units on oil wells.