China to import more rice from Cambodia

Chinese authorities have agreed to speed up the review of applications of 40 Cambodian firms that want to export rice to the Chinese market, according to local media.

Illustrative image (Source: khmertimeskh)

The Chinese side agreed to prioritise work reviewing the applications of the 40 Cambodian firms at a meeting in Beijing this week between the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture and China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), Khmer Times reported.

The meeting aimed to discuss Cambodian exports to China, particularly rice, bananas and mangoes.

During the first round of reviews, 26 local rice traders passed the quality-control tests and were permitted to export rice to China.

“The second round of reviews is taking place soon and those that gain approval will be able to send their rice to China,” the paper quoted Ngin Chhay, director-general of the ministry’s General Directorate of Agriculture, as saying.

The decision by AQSIQ is seen as an important development that will help Cambodia achieve its goal of fulfilling its rice export quota in the Chinese market, said the English-language newspaper.

According to the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), Cambodia exported 157,793 tonnes of rice to China from January to September. Exports to China accounted for 39.6 percent of Cambodia’s total rice exports.

Last year, Cambodia was unable to meet its rice export quota in the Chinese market, shipping only 170,000 tonnes out of the 300,000 allowed. This year, however, CRF is confident the Kingdom will be able to ship all the 300,000 tonnes of rice that it is allowed.