Indonesia To Import Rice From Cambodia

SIEM REAP, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- Indonesia will soon sign an agreement to import 100,000 metric tonnes of rice from Cambodia over the next five years.

Speaking after the opening of the 44th Asean economic ministerial meeting by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen here Monday, Indonesian Trade minister Gita Wirjawan said his country will also sign an agreement to procure rice from Laos, Vietnam and other countries.

The move is made by the Indonesian government to strengthen food resilience and to ensure food security, ANTARA news agency reported.

Cambodia Offers Rice To Indonesia

SIEM REAP (Cambodia), Aug 27 (Bernama) -- Cambodia has requested that Indonesia buy rice from that country and invest in post-harvest business, reports Antara news agency.

Indonesian ambassador to Cambodia Soehardjono Sastromihardjo said Monday that Cambodia's prime minister Hun Sen made the request to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during the Asean Summit in Bali last year.

"I myself heard (prime minister) Hun Sen made (the request) directly to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono when they met at the Asean Summit in Bali last year," he said on the sidelines of Asean senior officials' meeting ahead of the 44th Asean Economic Ministers' Meeting here.

Hun Sen is scheduled to open the Asean Economic Ministers' Meeting that would discuss trade and investment cooperation as well as food security.

Cambodia's rice exports surge by 13 pct in first 4 months

14 June 2012
Xinhua

Cambodia had exported 49,450 tons of milled rice in the first four months of this year, a 13 percent rise from 43,730 tons in the same period last year, showed a report from the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.

The report said from January to April 2012, the country earned revenues of 35 million U.S. dollars from the rice exports, up 40 percent from 25 million U.S. dollars in the same period a year earlier.

The rice has been exported mainly to European markets and the United States, and some to Asian countries including South Korea, China, and Japan.

Cambodia: Slow outlook for 2012 rice exports

17 May 2012
Blackseagrain.org

Rapidly increasing logistics costs and low regional rice prices would hinder Cambodia’s rice-export target this year, with one expert saying that milled-rice exports could fall to half of last year’s shipments.

The cost of shipping rice to Europe climbed by more than 50 per cent between February and April, and have continued to rise, experts said.

While logistics costs for regional rice producers have also increased on rising fuel prices, Cambodian rice reached Europe this month at a US$200 markup per shipping container over those from Thailand and Vietnam.

Coupled with rice prices that are up to $50 higher per tonne than the two neighbours, Cambodia’s prospects for meeting government-led export goals this year could fall flat.

Philippine Gov’t may skip rice deal with Cambodia

May 17, 2012
Bettina Faye V. Roc
Business World (The Philippines)

THE PHILIPPINES may forego a rice supply deal with Cambodia for this year if it is not signed next week, to allow the government to finalize all state-to-state deals for imports of the grain.

"We can let go of the Cambodia deal because we have to move. We can include them in our options next year, if ever," Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in an interview yesterday.

According to the Cabinet official, the department is only waiting to be granted the authority by Malacañang to be able to sign rice supply agreements.

"We hope Malacañang can give us authority within this week so we can finalize the deal and include Cambodia in our options for the government-to-government deals," the Cabinet official said.

[Philippine] Gov’t looking to finalize rice deal with Cambodia

April 15, 2012
Bettina Faye V. Roc
Business World

THE GOVERNMENT expects to sign a rice supply deal with Cambodia within two months, an Agriculture official said, adding to existing agreements with Vietnam and Thailand.

“Representatives of the DA (Department of Agriculture) have an ongoing communication with them. We can finalize and sign the agreement in two months,” said Dante S. Delima, Agriculture assistant secretary and National Rice Program coordinator.

“Once we are able to sign a MoU (memorandum of agreement), we can tap them as a potential source of our rice imports,” he added, noting that both parties were unable to finalize a deal during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit earlier this month.

The National Food Authority (NFA) last week said it intended to notify Vietnam and Thailand that it would be seeking state-to-state deals for 120,000 metric tons (MT) that will be added to the country’s buffer stock.

Cambodia to double rice exports

Wed, Apr 11th, 2012
By Rithy Chey
Thailand Business News

Despite a slow start for milled-rice exports in 2012 brought on by falling regional prices, officials yesterday predicted Cambodian shipments would more than double to 400,000 tonnes this year.

Tax exemptions from Europe, which boosted milled-rice exports to about 173,000 tonnes last year, would continue to help the sector, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Chan Sarun said yesterday at a ministry meeting.He acknowledged, however, that low rice prices in the region had led to a relatively slow start during the first quarter of the year and did not offer export figures for the three-month period.New orders for milled rice in January and February were considerably lower than the same months in 2011, the Post reported.

The high cost of milling and transportation in Cambodia had rendered the industry uncompetitive in the face of falling prices in Vietnam, India and Thailand, experts had said.Trade with China could help realise the goal, although Europe would remain the Kingdom’s biggest market, Kim Savuth, general director for Khmer Food Company, said yesterday.

Philippines set to sign rice supply deal with Cambodia

March 28, 2012
Business Recorder

The Philippines is close to signing a government-to-government rice supply agreement that would make Cambodia a potential supplier of the grain staple to Manila, along with Vietnam and Thailand, agriculture officials said on Monday.

The Southeast Asian neighbours aimed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on rice supply in early April, similar to Manila's three-year deal with its major supplier Vietnam, Philippines Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said.

The deal would make Cambodia a potential supplier for the 120,000 tonnes of rice the state grain agency, National Food Authority (NFA), is looking to buy in 2012 to increase its buffer stock.

[Philippines] Gov’t importing rice [from Cambodia] this year

Mar 16th, 2012
Tempo (Philippines)

Manila, Philippines – Finally, government has admitted that it is importing rice this year.

Barely a week after declaring that the National Food Authority (NFA) will not purchase rice overseas, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the food agency will import rice through a government-to-government (G2) deal.

This time, the leading candidate to supply the 120,000 metric tons (MT) of rice under a G2G contract is Cambodia.

With that volume, the total rice importation for this year will be 500,000 MT, with the private sector snatching 190,000 MT and farmers’ cooperatives another 190,000 MT.

Alcala said he will not consent to any additional import volume.

Rice exports flounder

A worker cleans milled rice before it is bagged in Phnom Penh. (Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post)

Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Sieam Bunthy and Don Weinland
The Phnom Penh Post

Cambodia's milled-rice exports struggled to compete on international markets as increased supply from India forced down regional prices, experts and officials said yesterday.

The Kingdom has continued to fill orders made in 2011, but industry insiders said new orders for the grain fell in January. Higher energy and milling costs in Cambodia could further stymie new orders for milled rice in February.

Tim Purcell, director of Agricultural Development International, confirmed that orders for milled rice fell last month.

“Compared to the last quarter of last year, January saw a significant drop in orders,” he said yesterday, adding that increased stock in India had driven down prices in the region.

Cambodia millers aim for bigger rice exports in 2012

Phnom Penh (Rasmei Kampuchea Daily/ANN) -- The Cambodian Rice Export Association has been inaugurated with the aim of achieving annual exports of one million tons a year, more than five times the volume of rice exports last year, Rasmei Kampuchea reported Friday.

"The purpose of creating this association is to unite rice exporters, millers and transporters," association president Lim Bunheng was quoted as saying. "It aims to boost Cambodian rice exports to international markets to one million tons."

Lim Bunheng, who is also president of leading rice exporter Loran Import-Export Co Ltd, said his company had the capacity to export 300,000 tons of rice in 2011. "We expect to be able to export 500,000 tons," he said.

Ways to ease Cambodia’s path into the global rice trade

By David Van
Letter to The Phnom Penh Post

Dear Editor,

From an insignificant tonnage of milled rice officially exported for the first time in 2008 to 60,000 tonnes in 2010 and growing exponentially to 170,000 tonnes in 2011, Cambodia at a first glance seemed to be back on the world stage of the global rice trade.

The Royal Government of Cambodia’s Rice Policy – launched in August, 2010, followed by a progress report undertaken at the end of 2011 for further recommendations – has certainly encouraged more foreign and local investments in the milling sector to enhance in-country capacity as an attempt to retain added value domestically.

One should be heartened by the increased export figures for 2011, as the growth in Cambodia’s rice exports was mainly due to circumstances under which the European Union and Russia granted tax-free status for rice of Cambodian origin.

VN poised to topple Thailand [in rice export]

January 17, 2012
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation

Vietnam will eclipse Thailand as the world's biggest rice exporter this year as the government's pledging scheme artificially inflates Thai prices, exporters predicted.

The Thai Rice Exporters Association projects exports will drop to 6.5 million tonnes - their lowest level in a decade - this year. The country's share of the global market will fall to 20-25 per cent from 30.2 per cent last year, it said.

Other negative factors facing Thai rice exports include an expected increase in shipments from India as export quotas there expire in February; Vietnam's announcement that it would double jasmine rice exports to 800,000 tonnes this year; an increase in the number of countries exporting rice, including Brazil and Uruguay; Cambodia's projection that it will export 1 million tonnes this year; and an acceleration in exports from Burma, particularly of parboiled rice.

Cambodia's rice yield stable in 2011 despite flood devastation: PM

"Cao Duc Phat said Vietnam and Cambodia are good neighbors and easy to access to each other ..."

PHNOM PENH, Dec. 09 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said Friday the output of rice paddies this year would be at least the same amount as the yield last year even though the recent floods destroyed about 8 percent, or 190,000 hectares of the total rice paddies.

The premier's assertion was made during a meeting with visiting Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture Cao Duc Phat at the Phnom Penh' s Peace Palace.

Cambodia, an agrarian country, produced some 8 million tons of rice paddies last year. Of the figures, the country has 3.9 million tons of rice paddies, in equivalent to 2.5 million tons of milled rice, left over for exports this year.

In Spite of Flooding, Much Rice to Export Remains

Rice mills factory in Cambodia. (Photo: Songrit Pongern)

Monday, 05 December 2011
Heng Reaksmey, VOA Khmer | Phnom Penh

"The amount of rice for export this year may even be more than last."

Despite widespread flooding earlier this year that inundated much of the country’s rice crop, millers say they should be able to have enough to export to neighboring countries, thanks to the rain.

Flooding, which lasted from August to October, did not damage crops in some key provinces, said Phou Phuy, president of the Rice Millers Association. The amount of rice for export this year may even be more than last, he said.

“The 3 million tons that we have I expect we can export some rice to Vietnam and Thailand,” he said.

Flood devastation tests Cambodia's rice supply capacity: PM

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday this year's flood devastation was a major test for Cambodia's rice export capacity of one million tons by 2015.

He said that the recent flooding was more serious than that in 2000 and it had completely destroyed 190,000 hectares of rice paddies, or eight percent of this year's rice paddies production, according to the updated figure.

"With this damage, if, this year's harvest, we still have the rice paddy surplus of between three and four million tons left for exports, it means that the floods will not affect our scheme to export one million tons of milled rice by 2015," he said during the 16th Government-Private Sector Forum.

Weak spots seen in Kingdom trade

Tuesday, 08 November 2011
Don Weinland and May Kunmakara
The Phnom Penh Post

While the World Trade Organisation yesterday lauded Cambodia’s economic achievements since joining in 2004, officials pointed to the lack of much-needed financing for the Kingdom’s burgeoning trade sector.

Cambodia lacks the capacity to finance the manufacturing and agriculture exports that would allow the country’s industries mature, Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh said yesterday, speaking at a presentation of the WTO’s first trade policy review of the Kingdom, released on Friday.

“We are still running short of liquidity from commercial banks and from other financial institutions. We have a lot of warranties to trade but not [enough] money to roll out these activities,” he said.

Cambodia eyes UAE to broker its milled rice: Commerce Minister [-Couldn't Cham Prasidh peddle Khmer rice by himself?]

PHNOM PENH, November 6 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh said on Sunday the country has been seeking Dubai investors to broker Cambodian milled rice for countries surrounding the Persian Gulf.

"Although our rice is not the types of rice consumed in the United Arab Emirates as they mostly eat India's long grain Basmati rice, we want Dubai's rice brokers to buy our milled rice and wholesale to countries in-and-surrounding the Persian Gulf," he said at the Phnom Penh International Airport when returning from participating in the International Rice Exhibition 2011 in Dubai.

Cham said his visit to Dubai was the start of the bilateral trade relationship between Cambodia and Dubai and he had extended an invitation letter to Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, the UAE Minister for Foreign Trade who will visit Cambodia early next year, in order to look into the cooperation on rice and other agricultural produce between the two countries.

State Logistics Agency’s Search for Rice in Cambodia

Monday, 31 October, 2011
TEMPO Interactive

Jakarta:The Indonesian government does not only rely on countries like Vietnam and Thailand for rice supply. The State Logistics Agency (Bulog) also looks for supply in other countries which has sufficient reserves. Bulog CEO Soetarto Alimoeso said that his office is currently exploring the possibility to sign rice imports contract with Cambodia.

“We’ve gone through all [procedures]. I even have signed a contract with the Cambodian Trade Ministry,” Soetarto told TEMPO on Sunday. Soetarto said that he had met the Cambodian ambassador to Indonesia in order to discuss about cooperation in short-term and long-term rice provision.

Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar rice to trade in Thailand

Oct. 23, 2011
By Sameer Mohindru

HO CHI MINH CITY (MarketWatch) -- The Thai government's procurement of rice from growers well above market prices is expected to result in at least 2.5 million metric tons of the grain from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to find its way into Thailand's granaries and trade, industry officials said.

On Oct. 7, Thailand started procuring domestic rice from growers at THB15,000/ton, around 40% above market rates. Barely any procurement has taken place due to severe floods but is likely to gather pace in the next few months as waters recede.

Traders and industry officials point out that due to Thailand's porous borders, rice from neighboring countries will also be moved into Thailand to take advantage of the higher prices. This will push up inventories in Thailand, world's largest exporter and push up global prices.