Phnom Penh: Cambodia has witnessed a significant surge in milled rice exports at the start of 2024. According to a report by the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), the Kingdom exported 46,221 tonnes of milled rice in January, marking a substantial year-on-year increase of 25.2 percent from the 36,900 tonnes recorded during the same period in the previous year.

The country's revenue from these exports has also seen an uptick, with earnings reaching a total of US$32.6 million, which is a 13 percent increase from last year. Cambodian rice has found its way to 42 countries and regions worldwide.

The European Union has emerged as the leading importer of Cambodian milled rice this January, purchasing 25,005 tonnes, which accounts for 54 percent of the total exports. ASEAN countries followed, with 11,999 tonnes, while China and its autonomous regions imported 5,171 tonnes.

The CRF report further noted that other destinations combined imported a total of 4,046 tonnes of rice from Cambodia. The varieties of rice exported include fragrant rice, organic rice, white rice, parboiled rice, and japonica rice.

In addition to milled rice, Cambodia also exported 588,814 tonnes of paddy rice, which is valued at an estimated US$184 million.

Reflecting on the previous year's performance, the country had exported 656,323 tonnes of milled rice in the last year, a year-on-year growth of 3 percent, generating revenue of US$466 million.

This growth in the rice export sector underscores Cambodia's continuing expansion in the agricultural export market and the nation's ability to reach diverse global markets.