[Photos] A Sweltering Day on a Ninh Thuan Salt Field

Ever wonder where your salt comes from?

Salt production along the Vietnamese coast creates around 750,000 tons of the mineral per year. During the harvesting season, stretching from January to June, salt producers start their day before sunrise in order to finish their work as early as possible and escape from the burning sun.

The fields are filled with salt water, and once they dry out, they are ready to be harvested. Men use rakes to pile up crystallized salt, while women collect the salt with wheelbarrows or baskets so that it can be treated during a later stage of the process.

Salt harvesting is a demanding and seasonal job, as it requires dry, sunny weather, forcing workers to look for another source of income during the rainy season. This work is becoming even harder because of climate change, which causes unpredictable weather patterns that can damage or destroy salt fields.

Take a look at this taxing process below.