Cambodia working on climate resilient rice industry
Cambodia’s rice sector, led by Sang Saran of CRF, prioritizes climate resilience and EU standards for competitiveness. Last year, Cambodia exported 246,683 tonnes of milled rice to the EU, its largest market. The agriculture sector undergoes rapid transformation with advanced technologies, producing a surplus of 6.5 million tonnes of paddy rice. Khim Finan highlights Cambodia’s role in regional food safety. Ministry of Agriculture reports 3.54 million hectares of rice fields.
Cambodia’s rice sector is working on transformation on the framework of climate resilience within the rice industry to get more competitiveness in the market, Sang Saran, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) said.
Cambodia has the latest technology in rice production even though the country started behind, but it is moving higher in technology in areas such as food safety, Saran said during a panel discussion on Cambodia’s rice sector development at the ADFIAP meeting hosted by the Agriculture and Rural Development Bank on Wednesday.
In the EU, there are strict requirements on food safety and environmental protection, Saran said.
“As majority of Cambodia’s rice is exported to the EU, I believe today’s event can help the rice sector to be more climate-smart,” Saran, who is also CEO of Amru Rice (Cambodia), Cambodia’s leading rice exporter, said.
“We have to look at the environmental health and safety and environment impact assessment. Doing so, we need a lot to add on these certificates (standards) to ensure Cambodia’s competitiveness,” Saran said.
Figures from the CRF showed that Cambodia exported 246,683 tonnes of milled rice to the EU last year, making the EU become the biggest market for Cambodia’s rice market, followed by China and ASEAN countries with 212,756 tonnes and 93,376 tonnes, respectively.
Cambodia’s agriculture sector is in the midst of a rapid transformation. This was driven by the use of new technologies and quality fertilizers, expanded irrigation and better access to mechanized services and markets.
Cambodia has been at the forefront of adopting the latest agricultural technologies in areas such as water management, drip irrigation, sprinkler systems, and water sensors.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Cambodia has a total of 3.54 million hectares of rice fields, producing a yearly yield of 12.49 million tons of paddy rice.
Cambodia has a paddy surplus of 6.5 million tonnes, meaning Cambodia is capable of exporting rice more, said Khim Finan, under-secretary of state of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.
“We believe that we play a role not just in fulfilling our own food security, but we can also play a key role in a regional level of food safety as well,” Finan said at the panel discussion.
Source Link : https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501489808/cambodia-working-on-climate-resilient-rice-industry/
