The government’s ambition of seeing annual rice exports hit one million tonnes, set more than a decade ago, has been realised.
According to the National Phytosanitary Database of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, exports reached 1,014,442 tonnes on October 19.
Ministry spokesperson Khim Finan announced the milestone.
“Wonderful news for Cambodia! Today, we have officially broken the historical record for rice exports. This is a successful achievement in surpassing the previous annual record and a remarkable accomplishment for the nation and the entire agricultural sector. Congratulations to everyone!” he said.
In the early 2010s, the government set the target, aiming to achieve it by 2015. However, the ambitious goal remained unmet through 2025.
The ministry reported that Cambodia exported 538,000 tonnes of rice in 2015, 542,000 tonnes in 2016, 636,000 tonnes in 2017, 626,000 tonnes in 2018, 620,000 tonnes in 2019, 691,000 tonnes in 2020, 617,000 tonnes in 2021, 637,000 tonnes in 2022, 656,000 tonnes in 2023, 646,000 tonnes in 2024, and 940,000 tonnes in 2025.
Lay Chhun Huor, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation, recently told The Post that rice exports have shown positive growth, particularly since 2025, when shipments surged by nearly 50% over the previous year.
He attributed the sustained growth to joint efforts by government leaders and the private sector to promote Cambodian rice, strengthen and expand production, and continuously develop export markets.
He noted that that the EU remained a key market for Cambodian rice, alongside China. Exports had also been growing strongly in several other markets, including Malaysia and the Philippines.
Chan Pech, general manager of Signature Rice, which will export 60,000 tonnes of rice to the Philippines by the end of 2026, said promotion, quality, taste and improved transport infrastructure had helped strengthen the competitiveness of Cambodian rice and steadily increase international orders.