Wednesday, 18 July 2012
May Kunmakara
Phnom Penh Post 
Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh speaks in Phnom Penh last year. Photograph: Vireak Mai/Phnom Penh Post
After the Philippines government issued their own policy regarding milled rice exports the Ministry of Commerce
of Cambodia has expressed its disinterest in exporting milled rice to
its neighbour, Cambodia’s Commerce Minister said yesterday. [Hun Sen puts politics over Cambodia's commercial interests after the Philippines was upset with Cambodia's bowing to China's pressures for the failure of Asean Summit. Does the Philippines lose or Cambodia lose?].
Local rice millers will not be encouraged to make any efforts to export milled rice to the Philippines, said Cham Prasidh, the Minister of Commerce for Cambodia.
“We have no interest in the Philippines market any more as their government has issued a new policy that by 2013 the country should be able meet its own supply requirements for milled rice and may even export some starting next year. We do not need to rely on the Philippines — there are other markets”, he said during a meeting at the National Assembly yesterday.
At the same time, Cham Prasidh urged members of the Federation of Cambodian Associations of Rice Exporters to look other markets in the region.
“Now, we will look at Indonesia even though they are producing a lot of milled rice. There could still be a shortage. I plan on signing a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian trade minister next month during the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ meeting.”
The deal will be for 100,000 tonnes of milled rice, according to Chairman of the Federation of Cambodian Associations of Rice Exporters Kim Savuth, who agreed with Cham Psaidh’s claims and said the Philippines market is a bit difficult for private rice milling companies to work in.
“Of course, I think it is good idea because we should not waste time and we won’t have to now that their government has announced that they can produce enough milled rice to meet their own demand by 2013,” he said.
He said he had conducted an export feasibility study on the market since 2000 and that Cambodia was close to exporting milled rice to the Philippines though for it to happen a bilateral agreement needed to be made between the two governments.
“We were very close to exporting to the Philippines over the last few years but after we saw the conditions for payment, which were quite late, we decided to look for other markets to enter,” he said.
Kim Savuth said that Indonesia, Malaysia and China, among others in the region, have a lot of potential with Cambodia’s white rice, while the European and Russian markets are still good places for fragrant rice exports.
Cambodia’s total exports of milled rice dropped about 35 per cent for the first half of 2012 to 78,000 tonnes compared to 120,000 tonnes for the same period in 2011– a decrease of 40,000 tonnes, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture supplied yesterday.
Local rice millers will not be encouraged to make any efforts to export milled rice to the Philippines, said Cham Prasidh, the Minister of Commerce for Cambodia.
“We have no interest in the Philippines market any more as their government has issued a new policy that by 2013 the country should be able meet its own supply requirements for milled rice and may even export some starting next year. We do not need to rely on the Philippines — there are other markets”, he said during a meeting at the National Assembly yesterday.
At the same time, Cham Prasidh urged members of the Federation of Cambodian Associations of Rice Exporters to look other markets in the region.
“Now, we will look at Indonesia even though they are producing a lot of milled rice. There could still be a shortage. I plan on signing a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian trade minister next month during the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ meeting.”
The deal will be for 100,000 tonnes of milled rice, according to Chairman of the Federation of Cambodian Associations of Rice Exporters Kim Savuth, who agreed with Cham Psaidh’s claims and said the Philippines market is a bit difficult for private rice milling companies to work in.
“Of course, I think it is good idea because we should not waste time and we won’t have to now that their government has announced that they can produce enough milled rice to meet their own demand by 2013,” he said.
He said he had conducted an export feasibility study on the market since 2000 and that Cambodia was close to exporting milled rice to the Philippines though for it to happen a bilateral agreement needed to be made between the two governments.
“We were very close to exporting to the Philippines over the last few years but after we saw the conditions for payment, which were quite late, we decided to look for other markets to enter,” he said.
Kim Savuth said that Indonesia, Malaysia and China, among others in the region, have a lot of potential with Cambodia’s white rice, while the European and Russian markets are still good places for fragrant rice exports.
Cambodia’s total exports of milled rice dropped about 35 per cent for the first half of 2012 to 78,000 tonnes compared to 120,000 tonnes for the same period in 2011– a decrease of 40,000 tonnes, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture supplied yesterday.
To contact the reporter on this story: May Kunmakara at kunmakara.may@phnompenhpost.com
9 comments:
Philippines is one of the ASEAN poorest island-nation that playing hard ball with China under the string of its former colonial master-US. Stupid pinoy inward realpolitik will plunge its people and economy to standstill when the US retreats from South China Sea. Vietnam is a second to follow suit...
You said poorest as if they were the bottom rank of studies for poorest nation. Last time they publish it was Cambodia that was way below the Philippines. Check your facts before you go on an emotional outburst.
It's premature reaction from Philippine, and just don't learn from Thailand. Anyway, if we have food and water people can survive long time in Cambodia, this is the first of an essential thing.
Yes, Cambodia is still less develope than Philipine. We are up and coming Cambodia economy is growing despite the world economy is still in recession. It's was PRC billions of $ that pumped in Cambodia, garment industries to U.S and European Union, tourism.
ASEAN ignored Cambodia pleaded for helps when Thailand decided to take our land around Preah Vihear. They kept saying ASEAN " NON INTERFERENCE IN IT'S MEMBERS INTERNAL AFFAIRS" Now it's Cambodia turn to say to Philipines and Viets " ASEAN NON INTERFERENCE IN IT'S MEMBERS AFFAIRS"
Cambodia have the rights to look out for her own best interest first. Plus, what the Philipines and Vietnamese are doing is going to put ASEAN close into possbile armed conflict with the new Asian Super Power China. America and Europe are using ASEAN to contain China. ASEAN will get smash going up against China. We are the one that going to get kill if conflict happen. Philipine is like ants to China, America will not risk war with PRC. ASEAN must not fall into proxy war.
no hard feeling, if,, Phillipines does not want to buy our rice,
plz don't worry about it..
Phillipnes, not so rich either.
poor than Khmer, worst than khmer for living standard.
market to CHINA is good enough.
Why so childish ? Politic and economy is not the same,why mix up!? Who lost in this situation!? Kampuchea lose!!!! Philippine can buy rice anywhere if she has money,supply and demand,you don't want to sell Philippine will goes buy somewhere else.Hun sen stop using personal agenda against nonsense cheap shit to stop economy of Khmer from growing.
5:16 AM, agree with you 100%.
3:08 AM, it was a premature reaction from Hun Sen, not from the Philippines. It was Cambodia that said it will not sell rice to the Philippines. Do you think the Philippines care? It can buy rice from somewhere, like Vietnam or Thailand or even Burma.
What Hun Sen did is wrong, he thinks about his own political interests first before Cambodia's benefits. By not selling rice to the Philippines, it is Cambodia that will lose out, not the Philippines because the Philippines can buy rice from somewhere else.
Who talk Cambodian less develop than Philliphine?
Those are just unrealistic.
Hun zen should not interference of Kampuja economy about whom we can or we can not sell rice too,for his dumb stupid moves in my opinion Kampuja lose its chance to make money of Philippine,because of Hun Zen personal's agendas! Hun zen better of stay out of economy let the private sectors or economist do their job.
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