Exporters Plan Small Rice Shipment: GRA

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 22 October 2009

(POsted by CAAI News Media)

A group of exporters are rushing to register with the Cambodian authorities to be legally allowed to export rice. The Golden Rice Association (GRA) will soon export 1-2 tons, hopefully to Europe.

A meeting participated in by Director of Loran Import-Export Co. Ltd. Lim Bun Heng, a manager of Eng Depo Development Company, Soy Sopheap DMC’s general director, as well as a member of the Golden Rice Association (GRA), on Wednesday agreed to apply to the Cambodian Interior Ministry (MI).

During a previous meeting, all members discussed plans to export abroad but agreed they need to legally register, according to the minutes of the October 2 at the Rolan Rice Factory in the Thmor Kaul district of Battambong. On October 21, they decided to clear all projects to summit to the MI to be fully legal in exporting Cambodian rice.

For the latest meeting, Director of Import-Export Co. Ltd. Lim Bun Heng said that “Now, we have four companies who involve with us, but we still another as our cooperation.”

The GRA’s stated main goal is to “improve and support the agricultural sector under allowance by the Cam-bodian Government, so we must try to achieve this task by exporting to Europe,” Bun Hengt added. Those with experience in the rice factory and investors stumping up at least US$10,000 can be part of the GRA. “We will collect the rice from various sources such as: Battambong, Banteay Meanchey, Takeo, Prey Veng, and Kampong Cham province,” Lim Bun Heng said. “In early 2010, we will export to France and Australia as well as another Europeans.”

“We hope that the Cambodian Government will support us.”

Soy Sopheap said the GRA will include members and farmers to offer transport from the farm gate to the cargo ships. He said the GRA project should strengthen exports of rice abroad. “In the past, Cambodia was weak, but now everything is improving because we have many investors,” Bun Heng said. “Although, our material and tools in the rice factory are still old, in the future everything will improve.”