Cambodia, Albania negotiate rice deal

TIRANA, Feb 17 – Cambodia’s efforts to diversify rice exports have taken a small step forward with a planned deal that would see 5,000 tons of rice sold every month to Albania, starting with a 300-ton shipment.
“Albania has contacted us to buy 300 tons of 10 percent-broken rice from Cambodia as a trial purchase … Cambodian rice has a lot of potential in the market,” said Outh Renne, secretary general of Small and Medium Industry of Cambodia.
“We sent them a sample of 25-percent, 10-percent, and five-percent broken rice, and they are interested in the 10-percent broken rice,” he said.
Negotiations are continuing with the Albanians having offered US $475 per ton and Cambodia asking $490, down from its previous offer of $500, Outh Renne said. The deal could also see 4,000 tons of corn sold per month to Albania.
The move to tap the Albanian market follows government efforts to diversify Cambodia’s rice exports and increase production of milled rice.
Cambodia exports about two million tons of rice per year,