Amru Rice (Cambodia), one of the Kingdom’s leading millers and exporters of the commodity, plans to expand exports of premium rice into the US, in response to high demand from the residents of Long Beach, California.

Amru CEO Song Saran is currently attending a trade expo in the US. He told The Post that following the company’s first 40 tonne shipment to the US in early January, more and more people were becoming aware of the high quality of Cambodia’s premium organic and jasmine rice varieties.

He explained that his firm supplies rice to Shun Fat Supermarkets in the Long Beach area of Los Angeles, where demand is high for quality rice, due to the presence of numerous Asian ethnic groups.

“We plan to expand our exports into the US. We plan to expand to as much as 5,000 tonnes. I have received widespread support from people here, and hope that this will translate into increased sales of organic and aromatic jasmine rice,” he said.

“We also appreciate the support we have received from the Cambodian consulate here in Long Beach. We have invited many of the largest US buyers to visit the Kingdom and learn more about the potential of the agriculture sector,” he added.

Chan Sokheang, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) – the nation’s apex rice industry body – explained that while the Kingdom has previously shipped luxury rice to the US, the shipments were generally small.

He noted that Amru has recently begun exporting to the substantial Asian market in California, with the assistance of the consulate general and chamber of commerce representatives in the region to facilitate the export process.

“It’s a matter of national pride for the rice sector that we are expanding exports to the US. I would like to highlight that the US market for fragrant rice is substantial. They import approximately 600,000 tonnes of it from Thailand annually. Therefore, the US represents a potential major market for us,” he said.

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Author: May Kunmakara

Publication Date: 17 March 2024

Source: The Phnom Penh Post