Shipments of organic rice picking up steam

Cambodian rice millers and exporters are increasingly eyeing the export of organic rice to the European Union and the United States, after shipments of this niche product increased this year.

Hean Vanhan, deputy general director of the general department of agriculture, said that organic rice exports were considerably small compared to export of other varieties of rice, with the Kingdom exporting only 2,800 tonnes for the first 11 months of the year. Exports for the more popular varieties of rice was close to 457,000 tonnes this year.

“We cannot put much focus on organic rice because the yield of organic paddy is lower than normal rice,” he said. “And only farming organic rice will not give farmers much income.”

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