Rice Exports Rise by More Than 170,000 Tons

3 January 2014
The Cambodia Daily
Agricultural policy and administration / Agricultural production / Agriculture and fishing / Crop products and commodities / Economy and commerce / Exports / Rice / Rice / Trade / Trade policy and regulation
Cambodian Rice Exports Association / EU / European Union aid / Lim Bunheng / Ministry of Agriculture

Rice exports increased from 205,717 tons in 2012 to 378,856 tons in 2013 as a result of high demand from the European Union as well as countries in Asia, according to figures released Thursday by the Ministry of Agriculture. France imported the most Cambodian milled rice, followed by Poland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, China and Thailand, according to the figures. Hean Vanhorn, deputy director general of the Ministry of Agriculture’s general department of agriculture, said about 9.34 million tons of paddy rice were harvested last year, up from 9.29 million in 2012. … But Mr. Bunheng said that while worldwide demand for Cambodian rice continues to increase, local rice millers are having trouble obtaining loans from banks to keep up. “Some commercial banks can provide us only 60 to 70 percent of our collateral assets, while other banks provide us 50 percent or 30 to 35 percent,” he said.

 Hul Reaksmey
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/business/rice-exports-rise-by-more-than-170000-tons-49976/