The search for Cambodia's best rice grains has started as the Cambodia Rice Federation announced that they are now accepting samples of the product for the upcoming World Best Rice Award Contest.
According to the Khmer Times, CRF Secretary-General Lun Yeng said on Monday that the organization is encouraging millers and exporters of rice to join the competition for exposure.
The CRF further provided details about the competition that will be held on November 1. Judges will award the winner of three categories: long-grain white rice, fragrant rice, and premium fragrant rice.
Criteria for judging, on the other hand, will focus on the appearance of the rice, the fragrance it produces, and the quality after it is cooked.
The rice grains that will win in the national contest will join the international competition in Manila, the Philippines starting November 10 to 13. Winners will also be awarded during December's 7th Cambodia Rice Forum.
Ever since the kingdom joined the World Best Rice competition, Cambodia has bagged the top award for three consecutive years from 2012 to 2014. Cambodian rice only snagged the top once more in last year's contest held in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Cambodia is known worldwide to be one of the top suppliers of rice. In fact, the kingdom saw an increase of 3.7 percent increase in rice exports during the first half of 2019, accounting for 281,583 tons of milled rice.
The kingdom's plight to once again bag the gold in this year's international competition comes amid the country's battle with the European Union (EU) after the latter started imposing tax duties earlier this year.
According to the Phnom Penh Post, the CRF predicted last week that exports to European markets will most likely drop by around 10 percent this year despite the value of rice exports to the bloc reached $200 million in 2018.
The EU imposed tariffs on Cambodian rice earlier this year, prompting industry advocates and the local government for the tariffs to be lifted. The EU said its move was made to give European rice producers better chances of selling domestically.
While exports to the EU are expected to fall, the kingdom is expected to ramp up its exports to China. CRF President Song Saran said Cambodia will keep working on its exports of fragrant rice to the Chinese market.
Cambodian rice farmers are also exploring possibilities in the Arab, African, Canadian, and Australian markets. Farmers in the country said they are hoping to offset EU losses by tapping markets that also have high demand for rice.
