PHNOM PENH: Cambodia exported 302,592 tonnes of rice in the first five months this year, up 8.7 percent from 278,184 tons recorded in the same period last year, a report from the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) showed Thursday.

The milled rice export earned revenue of US$219 million, up 14 percent from US$191 million recorded in the same period last year, read the report, adding that milled rice was shipped to 63 destinations through 48 exporters. China was Cambodia's largest rice importer as it purchased 73,322 tonnes of milled rice worth US$46 million, read the report.

Rice exports to 26 countries in the European Union was amounted 136,528 tons, worth a total of US$104 million, 7 ASEAN countries 65,412 tons, worth US$46 million, and other destinations 27,330 tons worth US$22.9 million, read the report. Exported milled rice varieties included fragrant rice, long grain white rice, parboiled rice and organic rice, it said, citing that fragrant rice accounted for 71 percent of the total rice export.

Meanwhile, Cambodia exported 2.44 million tons of paddy rice worth US$710 million to its neighbouring countries. CRF has set the country's full-year milled rice export target at 750,000 tons in 2023, rising to one million tons by 2025.