Local conglomerate Soma Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Australia-based rice exporter SunRice for exports of Cambodian rice to Australia, according to a senior official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). Talks are now focused on whether Soma Group will sell its produce directly to the Australian agricultural giant, or whether SunRice will partner up with the Cambodian company to invest in the local agricultural sector and export Cambodian rice under its own brand, Hean Vanhan, director-general of agriculture at MAFF, said. SunRice supplies about 720,000 tonnes of milled rice per year to 50 different countries. However, the company is only capable of producing 600,000 tonnes, so they are seeking new partnerships to meet demand for their products, Vanhan explained. (Source: Khmer Times)