China a market for fragrant rice
CAMBODIA is campaigning to boost its luxury fragrant rice exports to China, the world’s largest market, said Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) vicepresident Chan Sokheang on Thursday.
Sokheang told The Post on Thursday that the CRF plans to achieve the quota that China provided Cambodia – 400,000 tonnes of rice per annum.
The CRF has committed to ex por t i ng one mi l l ion ton nes of r ice g loba l ly by 2022, with 35 per cent to the Chinese market, of which 30 per cent is lu x ur y f ragrant rice, 40 per cent reg ular fragrant rice and 30 per cent reg ular rice.
Sokheang said the federation’s campaign aims to boost fragrant rice exports to China and make up for a decline in exports to Europe.
The CRF has taken measures such as meeting with Chinese authorities and distributors, as well as attending events in China to promote the Kingdom’s fragrant rice, he said.
“Exports of fragrant rice to China are on the rise, with
Cambodian fragrant rice being recognised as the world’s best and has been ranked at number one for four years in a row.”
Despite the vast demand for rice in China, he said, the Kingdom’s exports account for only five per cent of market share.
“This is a huge opportunity for Cambodian fragrant rice. The price of our fragrant rice is also fair compared to Thailand’s.”
The price of Cambodian fragrant rice exported to the Chinese market currently stands at between $920 and $930 per tonne, compared with $1,150 and $1,200 per tonne for Thai fragrant rice.
In the first nine months of this year, Cambodia exported 398,586 tonnes of rice, up 2.3 per cent from the same period last year.
Sokheang projects that rice exports to international markets will grow by about eight per cent compared to last year.