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Cambodia seeks to export rice to Philippines
Cambodia and the Philippines may re-sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) using the nation-nation mechanism that enables free trade in rice.
The subject came up during a three-day Philippines rice market study visit, starting on February 1, of a delegation from the Ministry of Commerce. The Ministry also pitched for exporting rice to the Philippines.
The Cambodian delegation comprised Kim Srey Roth, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Commerce, Chan Sok Ty, the Royal Government delegate in charge of the General Director of Green Trade of the Ministry of Commerce and Chan Sokheang, President of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF).
The Cambodian delegation met with Alfredo E. Pascual, Secretary of Trade and Industry of the Philippines, and Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong, head of the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC).
At the meeting, direct rice trade between private enterprises of both countries based on quality, quantity and price negotiations was suggested.
The Cambodian delegates also brought up rice-supply technical mechanisms and technical price conditions with the Philippines rice importing companies.
Many companies in the Philippines have shown interest in the quality of Cambodian rice and expressed their readiness to import the commodity from Cambodia.
According to Penn Sovicheat, Undersecretary of State and spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia had participated in auction to supply rice to the Philippines in the last few years but we could not get the agreement.
“We only produce high-quality rice and the shipping cost was too high for us to compete with the price offered by Vietnam or Thailand,” he said. But this time, Cambodia directly contacted the Philippines to have a rice import-export agreement, he added.
Cambodia produces three types of rice with different qualities. The most economical type is ordinary white rice for daily consumption. The second types are Pka Kney and Neang Minh. And the third is the premium quality fragrant.
Cambodia has invited rice importers from the Philippines on a study visit at the rice mills during the upcoming first dry-rice harvest between February and March, said a press release. The agreement signing could take place during the visit. Sovicheat said Cambodia is positive on big rice market demand in the Philippines and Indonesia.
Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501234663/cambodia-seeks-to-export-rice-to-philippines/