The Philippines inked a deal to import rice from Cambodia for the next two years, according to a statement on the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs website.

Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Noe Wong and Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh signed the deal on Tuesday. “The [Memorandum of Agreement] opens the way for the National Food Authority to import rice from Cambodia for the next two years through Green Trade,” the statement said.

Virak Thon, chairman and director-general of Green Trade, a state-owned, milled-rice exporter, told the Post yesterday that the company has signed no contract yet.

“We are waiting to receive the draft of the meeting. We can’t give any details on quantity or the time frame of the agreement, so far,” he said.

With the deal, Cambodia joins Vietnam and Thailand as potential rice suppliers of the Philippines, which is eyeing to import 187,000 tonnes this year.