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Cambodia: Rice exports flatten out
Milled rice exports were close to 170,000 metric tons in the first three months of this year, an increase of three percent over the same period last year, official figures show.
The rise came after exports in March fell by 16 percent and exports in January and February rose 10 percent and 17 percent respectively.
China is the biggest single-country market for Cambodia’s milled rice, and imported about 67,000 metric tons in the three months.
France and Poland rank second and third in Cambodia’s milled rice markets, importing 21,000 and 12,000 metric tons respectively.
The flattening of exports comes after the European Union, the biggest market in terms of trading blocs, warned that it would ban imports of rice from Cambodia from the middle of this year if the rice contains unacceptable levels of the fungicide Tricyclazole.
The EU’s new threshold is 0.01 milligrams of Tricyclazole residue per kilogram of rice paddy, down from the current cutoff of 1 milligram.
China is working to finalize the list of millers who can meet its quality and safety standards for rice
Hean Vanhan, director-general of the Agriculture Ministry agriculture directorate, said that the leveling off of rice exports is not related to factors connected to the Chinese or EU markets.
Sang Saron, CEO of Amru Rice Cambodia, said that the EU ban on fungicide would not affect Cambodian rice exports.
“It would help farmers know how to use fungicide in the right way on their rice plants,” Mr. Saron said. “Without Tricyclazole, farmers have other fungicides and traditional ways to protect their rice plants from diseases.”
Prime Minister Hun Sen last week called on all relevant parties to do more in helping the rice sector including choosing rice seeds, the technical aspects of farming, reduced costs of logistic and opening more markets for rice.
He called for more to be done to help the rice sector and for public and private enterprises to develop climate-resistant high yielding rice varieties, find more export markets and invest in value-added agro-industries.
Source: http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/37548/rice-exports-flatten-out/