Key Industries

Cambodian rice exports reach record highs

By
on
Cambodia exported 300,252 tonnes of rice between January and April in 2020, generating an equivalent of $210 million. This is the highest Cambodian rice export volume for a decade, said the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF).

Cambodian rice exports

The volume of Cambodian rice exports was 40.46% more than the 213,763 tonnes reported in the same period in 2019 said the CRF's latest report. The top destinations for the rice were:
  • China: 41%t of exports or 122,094 tonnes
  • EU and the UK: 32% or 97,337 tonnes
  • ASEAN countries: 13% or 37,428 tonnes
  • Other countries: 14%t or 43,339 tonnes
“It is a great source of pride for the Cambodian rice sector to achieve such growth,” CRF secretary-general Lun Yeng told the Phnom Penh Post. Due to COVID-19, the Cambodian government had suspended the export of paddy and white rice to secure domestic supplies of rice but nearly all of the exports were fragrant rice. Increased demand has caused the price of rice in international markets to rise by about 30 per cent year-on-year. CRF president Song Saran told Cambodian media “The rise in exports and earnings over the period was due to a rebound in demand from the EU and a number of other countries, especially Hong Kong and Australia. The new markets we have developed want quality – and fragrant rice is popular. We hope to expand fragrant rice exports in the near future,” said Saran." Cambodia Rice 2020 Cambodia exported 300,252 tonnes of rice between January and April in 2020

Cambodia agricultural exports 2020

Veng Sakhon, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said that the "exports of formal agricultural products totalled more than 2 million tonnes and informal ones 1 million tonnes" according to the Khmer Times. From January to April 2020, Cambodia exported:
  • 938,120 tonnes of dried cassava
  • 330,850 tonnes of fresh cassava
  • 9,301 tonnes of cassava powder
  • 186,205 tonnes of cashew nuts
  • 33,298 tonnes of corn
  • 98,969 tonnes of bananas
  • 42,035 tonnes of mangoes
  • 2,252 tonnes of pepper
  • 44 tonnes of vegetable
  • 420 tonnes of tobacco
in 2019, Cambodia’s rice exports to international markets amounted to 620,106 tonnes which were slightly down from 2018 (626,225 tonnes). Revenue was $501 million, down from $524 million in 2018.