chain governance and institutional supports in the upgrading of the cambodian rice milling industry for export

Veara Kim
Univesity of Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The Cambodian rice industry has recently experienced fast upgrading. This is
evident in the increasing amount of milled rice exports to international markets.
This study aims at examining how and what factors have affected the upgrading
of the Cambodian rice industry by applying the concept of value chain governance
and examining the role of institutional support, especially that of government.
Primary interviews and questionnaire surveys involved 119 respondents, including
rice millers, exporters and other key industry stakeholders while a wide range of
secondary data sources were consulted. The study reveals that two major factors
affected the upgrading: (1) value chain governance, which refers to the power
relations among actors, and (2) institutional supports, including government
actions on policy and directives and its, facilitation of access to finance, market
development and capacity building of exporters. The success of the upgrading
can be seen as an example of public-private collaboration.

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