Cambodia seeks to become a world leading rice exporters, with the country's agriculture minister, Chan Sarun, saying he hopes to produce enough rice to export some eight million tonnes per year by 2015.
This follows an announcement by Thailand Prime Minister that his country, the world's leading exporter of rice, not to restrict exports.
Fears of rice shortages have led to price increases in world prices of rice have forced major producers and exporters like India, Vietnam and China to adopt protectionist measures by imposing limits on exports, further exacerbating the problem.
Although Cambodia remains one of Asia's poorest countries, the leader of the Cambodian Center for Study and Development of Agriculture, Yang Saing Koma, has told Radio Australia Connect Asia program the prospect of becoming a leading rice exporter is a distinct possibility.
"It is possible to increase rice production in Cambodia," he said.
"Of course, we continue to have large acreage and productivity of rice in Cambodia is still weak in these areas, and there is still the possibility of expanding the cultivated area."
Cambodia ambitions to increase exports following the Sunday announcement by Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej that his country, not reduce rice exports.
A spokesman for International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines Duncan Macintosh welcomes the initiatives taken by the government, and says this could help ease the panic that gripped the international rice market.
"It is clear that both answers ... by Thailand and Cambodia to try to stabilize the market - they make sense and seem to be very good decisions," he said.
" I think most Asian governments are trying to calm people down, because there is every reason for markets to be stable. "
0 comments:
Post a Comment