Cambodia is exploring the possibility of exporting rice directly to the Philippines, according to Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.
Pascual yesterday met with delegates of the Green Trade Co. and the Rice Federation of Cambodia who initiated talks on the possible purchase by the country of rice instead of buying everything from Vietnam, which also sources some of the rice from Cambodia.
Pascual said Cambodia can supply the Philippines as much as 3 million metric tons, which is about the volume the country imports per year.
He said half of Cambodia’s rice production is surplus.
Initial indicative price of long grain rice from Cambodia is P33 per kilogram, CIF.
The Philippines and Cambodia started preliminary talks on the rice trade at the sidelines of the Asean Summit.
Delegates led by Chan Sokey Secretary of State in charge of Green Trade and Okhna Chan Sokheang, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation, were in Manila for a fact-finding on how Cambodia can secure a market from the Philippines through the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC), DTI’s trading arm.
Rice under Asean is pegged a tariff of 35 percent and is open for private sector importation under the Rice Tarrification Law. – Irma Isip
