In the first two months of 2023, Cambodia exported nearly 100,000 tonnes of milled rice worth $72.67 million to 38 markets through 40 milled rice export companies, according to a report from the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF).
The report said that 49,056 tonnes of milled rice were exported to China, including Hong Kong. The exports accounted for 50.33 per cent of the total milled rice and were valued at $33.93 million.
Twenty-one European countries imported 38,456 tonnes of milled rice worth $27.26 million. Malaysia and Singapore imported 4,409 tonnes of milled rice worth $3.02 million. Africa, Australia, the Middle East, Turkey, Russia, the US and other countries imported 5,546 tonnes of milled rice worth $8.14 million.
In the first two months of 2023, Cambodia exported 871,319 tons of unmilled rice, worth about $217.82 million, to neighbouring countries.
That includes export of 49,381 tonnes of unmilled luxury fragrant Phka Rumduol jasmine rice and 36,495 tonnes of unmilled Cambodian fragrant rice of other types. Also exported was 6,461 tonnes of unmilled white rice; 2,890 tonnes of unmilled parboiled rice and 2,284 tonnes of unmilled organic rice.
CRF president Chan Sokheang said that the CRF has been promoting Cambodian rice at all international exhibitions in order to achieve its export target of one million tonnes in the near future.
“I and all members of the Rice Federation alike will strive to achieve the goals we have set for our people and our country. We will do our best to boost milled rice exports to one million tonnes in the near future. We will try to expand the old market and find new markets,” he said.
He noted that at the recent “Gulfood Fair” in Dubai, the CRF collected the business cards of more than 700 companies from the Middle East including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Kuwait; Russia, Europe and the US and Africa including South Africa and Ghana.
At the fair, he said, he found new markets for Cambodian unmilled and milled rice, which will be exported to them in the next two to three months after discussions take place and they provide them with price quotes and check the shipping connections between Cambodia, the UAE and Africa.
