Cambodia’s milled rice exports up 13.7 percent in first five months

Cambodia’s milled rice exports up 13.7 percent in first five months

The Kingdom exported 344,199 tonnes of milled rice in the first five months of the current year, the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) said yesterday.

The exports saw a rise of 13.7 percent from 302,592 tonnes in the same period last year.

The CRF said that the Kingdom made $252.30 million in revenue from the export of the commodity during the January-May period this year, up 15 percent from $219 million recorded in the same period last year.

The federation emphasised that Cambodia exported rice to 63 international destinations through 48 licensed rice exporting companies, including 160,732 tonnes of rice valued at $126.75 million to 26 European countries; 90,665 tonnes valued at $53.25 million to China and its autonomous regions; 49,700 tonnes valued at $34.56 million to five ASEAN countries; and 43,099 tonnes valued at $37.80 million to 30 other destinations.

Exported milled rice varieties included fragrant rice, long grain white rice, parboiled rice, and organic rice, the CRF said, adding that fragrant rice accounted for 75 percent of total rice export.

The report also stated that Cambodia generated over $740 million in revenue from border-traded paddy rice with the quantity traded standing at 3.1 million tonnes during the first five months of 2025.

In 2024, the Kingdom exported over 651,522 tonnes of milled rice worth $491 million.

President of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) Chan Sokheang told Khmer Times last month that the growth in the rice exports showed a positive move in the existing and new markets.

“The CRF will optimise its efforts so that the exports will keep increasing,” he said.

The CRF has set an ambitious goal to export at least a million tonnes of milled rice by 2025.

The government has allocated $150 million to rice millers for purchasing paddy from farmers.

Three months before, the Philippines Agriculture Secretary said that the country would support Cambodia in its strategy to attain the diversification of rice exports.

The statement, by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P Tiu Laurel Jr, followed the two-day official visit of Prime Minister Hun Manet to the Philippines, last February.

As part of Mr Hun Manet’s visit to Manila, eight memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed between Cambodia and the Philippines and among them are a special agreement to boost agricultural ties.

“Cambodia will gradually be an important agricultural trading partner as the country diversifies its markets, particularly for rice,” said Tiu Laurel.

Dr Cheang Hong, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture at the Royal University of Agriculture Phnom Penh, earlier told Khmer Times that the Kingdom must focus on discovering new markets for exports.

Last year, Cambodia and Indonesia, the fourth largest country in the world by population, reached an agreement to promote rice trade and a MoU is on the anvil.

As per the agreement, Indonesian company Perum BULOG will contribute towards developing agricultural businesses, namely rice mills and warehouses across the Kingdom.

khmertimeskh