PHNOM PENH: In the first three months of this year, Cambodia shipped a total of 166,451 tonnes of milled rice to international markets, a slight decrease from 176,581 tonnes in the same period last year, the Cambodia Rice Federation pointed out in a report AKP received this morning.

The country earned almost US$124 million from the rice export during the January-March period, a year-on-year decline of 2 percent, it added.

The Kingdom's rice was exported to 56 countries and regions around the world by 46 exporters, said the report, adding that major buyers of Cambodian milled rice during the said period included EU countries, China & its Autonomous Regions, and ASEAN members countries.

According to the report, fragrant rice contributed to over 81 percent of the overall export which also included white rice, parboiled rice and organic rice. In addition, Cambodia generated some US$600 million in revenue from border-traded paddy rice of some 2.22 million tonnes during the three-month period.

In 2023, the Kingdom exported more than 656,000 tonnes of milled rice worth US$466 million, marking a 3 percent growth in volume and 13 percent in value compared with 2022.

The Cambodia Rice Federation has set an ambitious goal to export at least a million tonnes of milled rice by 2025.