AKP Phnom Penh, October 3, 2026 --

A leading rice exporter Signature Rice has started exporting 5,000 tonnes of Cambodian rice by vessel to the Philippines from Kampot Port, marking Cambodia's first rice export by vessel from Kampot Port, and the start of regular vessel shipments to the Philippine market.

This first shipment is part of the company's plan to export 15,000 tonnes in October 2026, followed by another 45,000 tonnes in November and December. In total, the company aims to ship 60,000 tonnes to the Philippines in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Shipping via the new direct sea route between Cambodia and the Philippine allow the company ship large volumes by vessel instead of by container. It makes large exports easier, and buyers receive more rice in a single delivery.

For 2027, Signature Rice aims to export about 100,000 tonnes to the Philippines, building a long-term supply partnership for Cambodian rice in this market.

Shipping rice in full vessels makes transport simpler and more efficient than by container, Mr. Chan Pich, Managing Director of Signature Rice said on Oct. 3.

"Buyers receive more rice in one delivery, with consistent quality. Shipping by sea also helps make Cambodian rice more competitive in the Philippines,” he said.

The Philippines is a major rice market in the region, with imports expected at about 5.5 million tonnes in 2026.

According to the Cambodia Rice Federation, Cambodia exported 122,102 tonnes of rice to the Philippines from January to August 2026, and full-year exports are expected to reach about 209,446 tonnes.

This vessel shipment is another step in growing Signature Rice's international markets. It also supports the Royal Government's goal of exporting one million tonnes of milled rice.

The shipment also comes as Cambodia and the Philippines expand agricultural cooperation under an MoU on agricultural cooperation, signed in Manila in February 2025 by H.E. Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

By Chea Vannak