PHNOM PENH: The Director General of the General Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ngin Chhay, said that rice exports in 2021 decreased by 10.68% due to a lack of transportation containers.

At a press conference on the quality response and export of agricultural products related to the Cambodia-Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Friday, 18 March, Ngin Chhay said that rice exports reached 617,000 in 2021, which was a decrease of 74 thousand tons (down by 10.68%) from the recorded export volume of 2020 (691,000 tons). However, rice exports to China amounted to 310,000 tons, which was an increase of 20,000 tons (equivalent to 7%) from the previous year.

"The factors that have led to such a drop-in exports are due to the obstruction of transport caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The cost of shipping to the EU has doubled or tripled, and there is a shortage of containers," said Ngin Chhay.

Despite the decline in rice exports, rice exports in Vietnam increased, reaching about 3.53 million tons in 2021, an increase of 1.34 million tons, equivalent to 61%, from 2020 (2.19 million tons).

Exports of non-rice agricultural products reached 5.18 million tons, an increase of 1.68 million tons (equivalent to 48.14%) compared to the 3.5 million tons recorded in 2020.

As of 16 March 2022, the total export of agricultural products reached 2.82 million tons, an increase of 511 thousand tons compared to the same period in 2021. Major agricultural products exported include rice, cassava, cashew nuts, corn, fresh bananas, beans, grapefruit, fresh mangoes, confectionery, mango, coconut oil, pepper and more.