PHNOM PENH, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Wednesday allowed companies to resume exporting white rice from next week, after banning it for more than a month to ensure local food security during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resumption was made at the request of the Cambodia Rice Federation and after the Southeast Asian country has detected no new COVID-19 cases for a month.
"At the request of the Cambodia Rice Federation, the Royal Government decided to allow the resumption of white rice exports based on purchase orders from abroad, starting from May 20, 2020 onwards," Economy and Finance Minister Aun Pornmoniroth said in a statement.
Cambodia exported a total of 300,252 tons of milled rice in the first four months of this year, up 40.5 percent over the same period last year, a government report said.
In another statement to the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, Pornmoniroth said the government encouraged factories to produce face masks, medical supplies, and personal protective equipment for local demand and export.
Cambodia has so far recorded a total of 122 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 121 patients cured, according to the Ministry of Health. Enditem
