Kingdom’s rice exports rise 2%
CAMBODIAN rice exports in the first nine months of the year rose t wo per cent year-on-year, led by t he Chinese market, a Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) report said.
Rice exports to China increased more than 44 per cent, t he report said, while exports to the EU dropped nearly 30 per cent.
Tota l rice exports during the period reached 398,586 tonnes, a 2.3 per cent yearon-year increase from 389,264 tonnes.
CRF v ice-president Chan Sok heang on Thursday said t he increase in exports during the period was lower than expected due to a lack of rice stocks for export.
“Exports saw subdued grow th as paddy har vests this year were around t wo or t hree weeks later t han usual. So we didn’t have enough milled rice to export,” he said.
However, he expects rice exports t his year to continue increasing.
“I think the volume of Cambodian rice exports this year will increase bet ween five and eight per cent compared to last year.”
The Kingdom ex por ted 626,255 tonnes of mil led r ice last yea r, dow n 1.5 per cent f rom 635,679 tonnes in 2017.
The EU was t he leading market, with 269,127 tonnes, and China second with 170,154 tonnes, Ministr y of Agriculture, Forestr y and Fisheries figures show.
However, the volume of exports to European markets has steadily declined after the EU imposed tariffs on milled rice imports from the Kingdom in Januar y.
Sok heang said t he price of milled rice on t he internationa l market t his year is 10 per cent higher t han last year.
The Federation of Cambodian Rice Exporters has said Cambodia exports more t han 80 per cent of its fragrant rice, which obtains a higher price.