PHNOM PENH: Cambodia exported 4.5 million tonnes of agricultural products in the January-July period of 2023, earning some US$2.6 billion in revenue, according to a report released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) on Tuesday.

The agricultural product export decreased in volume by 19.2 percent compared to the same period last year, it pointed out.

The main products Cambodia exported included rice, bananas, mangoes, cassava, cashew nuts, corn, palm oil, pepper, and tobacco, among others, the report added.

For the rice sector, MAFF said Cambodia is making strategies to benefit from India’s rice export ban by enhancing the capacity of local mills to collect rice for storage, increasing processing, and exporting directly to international markets.

Agriculture is one of the four pillars supporting Cambodia’s economy. The sector contributed 24.4 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, according to the ministry.