A number of Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) member companies have reduced retail prices of milled rice by 10,000-20,000 riel ($2.50-5) per 50kg sack to participate in government efforts to improve people’s livelihoods during the ongoing two-week coronavirus lockdown in Phnom Penh and adjacent Takhmao town in Kandal province.

The discounts provided by the as-of-now seven retail depots will depend on the type and quality of the rice in stock, and continue “until the situation eases”, the CRF said in a press release on April 18.

"More members of the federation will join in after new milled-rice stock, staff and workers are allowed to travel across restricted areas," the federation said.

CRF listed some of the locations of the depots as the Borey Rith area in Russey Keo district’s Russey Keo commune, just south of the Sakyamuni Stupa near the train station in Daun Penh district’s Srah Chak commune, near Prey Chrey Market in Dangkor district’s Prek Kampeus commune, and in Snor commune of Phnom Penh’s westernmost Kambol district.

The move comes on the heels of an April 15 joint statement from the CRF and Green Trade Company – a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Commerce – allaying public concerns about food security, affirming that there is currently no shortage of milled rice in the Kingdom.

The statement said Cambodia has sufficient stockpile of milled rice, with more than 2.5 million hectares of wet paddy having been harvested in January and nearly one million hectares of dry paddy, of which more than 90 per cent has been harvested.

It said the supplies were safe and could readily fulfil domestic demand, leaving a surplus of rice to export until the next harvest season.

In the statement, they noted that the milled rice stocks they have released for sale at base prices are available in various locations from the city centre down to the outskirts.