Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia produced 10.5 million tonnes of paddy rice in2017, up 5.7 percent year-on-year, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said onMay 2.
With theamount of production last year, besides local consumptions, Cambodia will havesome 5.56 million tonnes of un-husked rice, or 3.56 million tonnes of milledrice, left over for exports this year, he said during the closing ceremony ofthe annual conference of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Cambodian Ministerof Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon said the country plantedrice paddy on a total area of 3.21 million hectares last year and a hectareaveragely yielded 3.29 tonnes.
Agriculturalsector grew by nearly 2 percent in 2017, accounting for 24.9 percent of the country'sGDP, he said.
According tothe minister, the country exported 635,697 tonnes of milled rice to 63countries and regions last year. China is the top buyer of Cambodian rice,followed by France and Poland.-VNA
Fragrant rice from Cambodia and Thailand was awarded the title of world’s best rice in 2014 during the 6th World Rice Conference in Phnom Penh on November 20.
Cambodia exported 335,925 tonnes of rice in the first 11 months of 2014, up from 332,009 tonne shipped in the same period last year, Reuters quoted a report of the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality (SOWS-REF) as saying.
Cambodia exported 342,136 tonnes of rice in the first eight months of 2015 and the country finds it hard to reach its goal of exporting one million tonnes of rice.
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Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce and rice exporters are devising strategic plans to boost rice exports amid global market fluctuations, focusing on key markets and adjusting output.
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Indonesian Ambassador Rina P. Soemarno, who currently serves as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, emphasised the spirit of regional solidarity and cooperation, and the importance of enhancing ASEAN–Czech Republic relations.
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The 30-storey tower crumbled seconds after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The partially built high-rise, meant to house the State Audit Office (SAO), was the only building in Thailand to collapse, killing 89 people on the site, mostly construction workers.
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The facility was established in response to a growing shift in the Filipino labour force from the Middle East to Japan, where workers are seeking safer working environments.
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Singapore led with a total of 8.8 billion USD in realised investment, followed by Hong Kong and mainland China, Malaysia, and Japan with 8 billion USD, 1.7 billion USD and 1.6 billion USD, respectively.
Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai on August 7 outlined his strategy for tackling drug problems in Thailand, aiming for a "Zero Drugs Thailand" within three months.
The US has described Malaysia's role as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as vital in helping ease tension between Thailand and Cambodia.
Illustrative image (Source: Khmer Times) 
