Cambodia set to take second go at rice bid

Cambodia set to take second go at rice bid

Phnom Penh Post | 5 September 2014

Despite failing in its latest attempt to win the Philippine government’s bid to import rice, Cambodia will once again throw its hat into the ring when the offer is reissued, industry representatives said yesterday.

The Philippine’s National Food Authority (NFA) in August set up a bidding process, open to all countries, for the import of 500,000 tonnes of rice to the country.

The NFA set a budget of $456.60 per tonne, but no one was able to meet that target, with bids ranging from $460 to $496.75 per tonne, according to reports. The Philippine government is set to reopen the bidding, keen to replenish rice stocks after severe weather damaged local crops and drove up domestic prices.

Thon Virak, director of state-owned rice exporter Green Trade, told the Post yesterday that Cambodia would again go after a slice of the NFA contract, with an offer to supply 100,000 tonnes of the staple.

“We will do what we can. But, we cannot lose money just because we want to get the bid,” he said.

Virak could not reveal the price per tonne that Cambodia was willing to offer, as it was a competitive bidding process, but acknowledged it would be tough for Cambodia to win a piece of the contract.