THE scorching heat of the sun beating down on his head did not make Samian take a break from working. That Monday afternoon last week, the 60-year-old grandfather enthusiastically harvested the salt in his field in Pangarengan village, Madura.

As far as salt farmers are concerned, the heat from the August sun is a blessing. The seawater flowing into the pond can quickly dry and leave behind salt. The quality of the salt harvested increasingly impr