Cambodia exported 379,546 tonnes of milled rice in the first seven months of this year, up 4.6 percent from 362,708 tonnes in the same period last year, a report from the Cambodian Rice Federation showed yesterday.
The exports earned the country $280 million, up from $253 million recorded in the same period last year, the report said.
China was Cambodia’s largest rice importer as it purchased 77,204 tonnes of milled rice worth $48 million during the period.
Additionally, the Kingdom exported 186,377 tonnes of milled rice worth $144 million to 26 countries in the European Union bloc, 77,933 tonnes worth $53 million to seven countries in the ASEAN region including Timor-Leste and 38,032 tonnes worth $33 million to other destinations, the report said.
Exported rice varieties included fragrant rice, long-grain white rice, parboiled rice and organic rice, the report stated, citing that fragrant rice accounted for 70.5 percent of the total exports.
CRF President Chan Sokheang attributed the growth in exports to the efforts to promote new markets, improved quality and packaging and the high capacity of rice millers through financial support from the government and banks.
“We have actively boosted access to new markets coupled with the capacity of rice millers leading to a rise in exports,” Sokheang told Khmer Times.
Cambodia also exported 2,711,179 tonnes of paddy rice worth $784 million to neighbouring countries during the same period.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Cambodia has 3.54 million hectares of rice fields, producing an annual yield of 12.49 million tonnes of paddy rice.
After meeting the domestic demand, Cambodia has a paddy surplus of 6.5 million tonnes, meaning the country is capable of exporting more rice.
CRF is currently working with banks and CGCC to disburse more loans as working capital for collecting paddy rice for storage in the harvest season, he said.
CRF has now set a goal to export at least a million tonnes of milled rice by 2025.
“Based on the growth in rice exports in the last couple of years, we firmly hope that we can reach our goal,” the CRF President said.
