PM: Cambodian rice exports to rise by 1 mln tons in 2009

Monday, January 12, 2009

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's exports of rice will increase by over 1 million tons in 2009 over the 2 million tons or so in 2008, English-language newspaper the Cambodia Daily on Monday quoted Premier Hun Sen as saying.
Total rice production for the 2008 to 2009 harvest will reach 7million tons and over the next few years, rice exports will reach 3 to 4 tons annually, he was quoted as saying.

More irrigation and education of farmers are needed to continue expanding rice exports, he added.

"Cambodia has the ability to compete and push farmers to plant more rice," he said, adding that Thailand and Vietnam collectively export 10 million tons of rice per year.

Meanwhile, Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Chan Sarun on Sunday said that by 2015, rice exports of Cambodia could reach 8 million tons.