Following a decade of significant growth and reform in Cambodia’s rice sector, Minister of Commerce Mrs. Cham Nimul has outlined crucial recommendations for the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), exporting companies, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure continued prosperity and international competitiveness.

The Minister made the recommendations at the opening ceremony of the 10th CRF Anniversary celebration held here on June 16.

The recommendations include:

1. Examine the possibility of attracting more investors to invest in production and enhance the added value of the rice production chain to meet the domestic market’s supply needs and increase Cambodia’s competitiveness in international trade.

2. Engage in business operations by applicable laws, adhere to ethical codes, supply competitive rice transparently, protect the interests of stakeholders, and enhance the credibility of Cambodian rice in national and international markets.

3. Participate in promoting and protecting brands and intellectual property, particularly in building collective brands and enhancing the quality of Cambodian rice. This involves ensuring the quantity, quality, safety, and aesthetics of packaging meet proper standards, thereby maintaining the reputation of Cambodian rice and promoting its sustainability in exports.

4. Continue to cooperate with relevant departments of the Ministry of Commerce, particularly Green Trade, the Export Promotion Team, and relevant partners, to implement measures that improve efficiency and quality, thereby strengthening existing markets and expanding new ones. This aims to increase the domestic supply and promote rice exports to international markets.

5. Modernise the operational structure, work procedures, and processes, as well as the federation’s statutes, in conjunction with the upcoming election of the federation’s president, chairman, and board members.

On the occasion, Nimul expressed deep appreciation to the CRF and all stakeholders for their notable achievements over the past decade. She underscored the importance of rice as Cambodia’s strategic crop—not only as a vital staple for food security and nutrition, but also as a high-potential export commodity. Rice, she noted, is among the priority agricultural products targeted for export expansion.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of the Royal Government, the CRF, development partners, and other relevant stakeholders, Cambodia has successfully become a nation with a substantial rice surplus for export, she added.

In 2025, the Ministry of Commerce actively promoted and signed a memorandum of understanding to export 500,000 tonnes of milled rice to China. In addition, Cambodia has opened new export markets through the state-run Green Trade company, securing agreements to export 37,500 tonnes to Indonesia and 4,000 tonnes to Timor-Leste, H.E. Minister pointed out.

Last year, Cambodia exported approximately 651,000 tonnes of milled rice and over 5.1 million tonnes of paddy rice, generating more than US$1.98 billion in revenue. AKP

Published Date: June 19, 2025