Cambodia Clarifies Rice Growth Strategy
Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture has clarified misleading Thai media reports about its 2025 rice production goals. The ministry emphasized that growth will come from expanded cultivation and improved techniques, not from hybrid varieties or fertilizers.
The clarification counters a report from The Nation Thailand which misrepresented a USDA assessment by specifically adding the term "chemical fertiliser." Cambodia's Undersecretary of State for Agriculture, Khim Finan, noted that not only does the country not use hybrid rice varieties for its growth, but official data shows fertilizer imports actually saw a slight decline in 2025. Cambodia's rice production increased by about one million tonnes in 2025, a success attributed to expanded cultivation areas, favorable weather, and improved farming and pest management techniques. This growth supports the Cambodia Rice Federation's ambitious goal of exporting one million tonnes of milled rice. The country's "Milled Rice Market Expansion and Export Diversification Strategy 2025-2030" focuses on dominating the premium fragrant rice market. In 2025, fragrant rice made up 64% of export volumes, while organic rice accounted for just over 1.3%. Key export destinations were the European Union (36%), China, and ASEAN nations. This strategy places Cambodia in direct competition with Thai premium brands. Cambodia's Phka Rumduol variety was crowned "World's Best Rice" for the seventh time in 2025, an award it has won over Thailand's own jasmine rice in the past. This premium positioning is central to its goal of expanding into new markets in the Middle East and Africa.
