Cambodia to begin rice exports to Indonesia ‘soon’: Minister

• Jul 22, 2019

Cambodia aims to begin exporting milled rice to Indonesia, one of the biggest rice markets in Asean, in the near future, according to the Minister of Commerce.

The two countries celebrated last week 60 years of diplomatic relations, which was marked by holding the Cambodia-Indonesia Friendship Trade Fair in Siem Reap.

Speaking at the event, Commerce Minister Pan Sorasak said the government seeks to boost trade with Indonesia, the largest economy in Asean.

“Cambodia is pushing to begin shipments of milled rice, particularly Malys Angkor, which won the World’s Best Rice Award last year,” Mr Sorasak told reporters at the expo.

The minister noted that the Cambodian and Indonesian governments signed agreements on the purchase of rice in 2012.

Hun Lak, vice president of the Cambodia Rice Federation, told Khmer Times that negotiations on rice exports are ongoing.

“The Indonesian market has a lot of potential for Cambodian rice. The two governments reached an agreement on rice exports in 2012, but they are still discussing the amounts that will be shipped as well as the type of rice,” Mr Lak said.

Cambodia exports milled rice to five Asean countries – Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, and Singapore. In the first six months of the year, the Kingdom exported 35,978 tonnes of milled rice to these countries.

From January to June, 281,538 tonnes of Cambodian milled rice were exported, an increase of 3.7 percent compared to the same period last year. The types of rice exported were long-grain, premium long-grain, and parboiled long-grain.

In 2018, trade between Cambodia and Indonesia reached $550 million.

During the first four months of the year, bilateral trade was valued at $196 million, a 10.4 percent increase.

Sudirman Haseng, Indonesian ambassador to Cambodia, praised the progress achieved in boosting trade between the two countries.

“This progress has to be maintained and improved upon by exploring new opportunities for collaboration,” Mr Haseng said.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50626028/cambodia-to-begin-rice-exports-to-indonesia-soon-minister/