The fifth rice festival, to be organised in Siem Reap province, is aimed at promoting domestic rice among local and foreign consumers and tourists.

According to a press release issued by the Siem Reap Tourism Club, the three-day rice festival will begin on January 27 at the Royal Palace Park.

The Siem Reap Tourism Club and the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) are organising the festival in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, the Siem Reap Provincial Administration, the Siem Reap Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia and other stakeholders.

The aim of the rice festival is to promote the potential of the Cambodian rice sector and the “white” gold of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Cambodia’s Phka Rumduol jasmine variety, exported under the ‘Angkor Malys’ certification mark, was crowned the World’s Best Rice for the fifth time at the TRT (The Rice Trader) World Rice Conference in Phuket, Thailand, on November 17 last year.

Lun Yeng, CRF secretary-general, told Khmer Times, the rice festival is being held in Siem Reap province for the first time. Also, the CRF has partnered with the Siem Reap Tourism Association to promote the quality of Cambodian rice.

 
 
Speaking to Khmer Times, Philip Kao, president of Siem Reap Tourism Club, said, “We expect more national and international tourists to attend this event.”

This year, the event is also aimed at promoting Siem Reap as a tourist province, ready to welcome national and international tourists after the Covid-19 crisis.

Stating that various rice and rice products will be exhibited at the event, he said, “It will allow international visitors to gain further understanding of the quality of Cambodian rice.”

“The rice festival aims to promote the internal tourism movement more in the spirit of the campaign ‘Visit our beautiful Cambodia’ and clean city, clean resort, good service, and good hospitality,” he said.