Category Archives: News

(Start Up: December 18, 2021)

កាលពីថ្ងៃទី១៨ ខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ២០២១ លោកស្រី ឃី មុន្នី អគ្គនាយិកាក្រុមហ៊ុនអេមរុរ៉ាយស៍ បានចូលរួមផ្តល់បទសម្ភាសន៍ដល់កម្មវិធី Start Up ទាក់ទងនឹងគុណភាពផលិតផលអង្ករខ្មែរ និងដំណើរឈានទៅកាន់ការឈ្នះពានស្ដង់ដារគុណភាព ពីស្ថាប័នអង្ករអន្តរជាតិ។

នៅក្នុងបទសម្ភាសន៍នេះដែរ លោកស្រីក៏បានលើកអំពីជីវប្រវត្តិ ការសិក្សា ក៏ដូចជាបទពិសោធន៍នានា ដែលលោកស្រីធ្លាប់បានឆ្លងកាត់ នៅក្នុងដំណើរនៃកិច្ចការងារផ្នែកធុរកិច្ចកសិកម្មនេះ ជាពិសេសលើការជំរុញនូវផលិតផលខ្មែរ ទៅក្នុងឆាកអន្តរជាតិ។ ចង់ដឹងថា តើនៅពីក្រោយការទទួលបានពានរង្វាន់់របស់អេមរុរ៉ាយស៍ ពីស្ថាប័នអន្តរជាតិផ្សេងៗនោះ តើមានកិច្ចការងារអ្វីខ្លះ ដែលជំរុញឱ្យសមិទ្ធផលទាំងអស់អាចកើតឡើងបាន? សូមស្តាប់កិច្ចសម្ភាសន៍ទាំងមូល តាមរយៈដំណរភ្ជាប់នេះ ៖ https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=277341374363645

(Thmey Thmey: December 14, 2021)

Amru Rich Cambodia ជាក្រុមហ៊ុនលំដាប់ស្តង់ដារដ៏ធំមួយ ដែលបាននាំកិត្តិនាមកម្ពុជា ទៅកាន់ឆាកអន្តរជាតិ តាមរយៈការជំរុញ និងលើកកម្ពស់វិស័យកសិកម្ម។ អ្នកស្រី ឃី មុន្នី បានអភិវឌ្ឍខ្លួនពីអ្នកកាន់ការផ្នែកហិរញ្ញវត្ថុ រហូតក្លាយជានាយិកាក្រុមហ៊ុននេះតែម្តង ដោយសារការ ពង្រឹងគុណភាពផលិតផល បង្កើតគំនិតច្នៃប្រឌិតថ្មីៗ និងពង្រីកទីផ្សារ ទាំងក្នុង និងក្រៅប្រទេសផងដែរ។ថ្មីៗនេះ អ្នកស្រី បានផលិតនូវសន្លឹកគុយទាវ សរីរាង្គខ្មែរ ដើម្បីជួយបំពេញតម្រូវការហូបចុកជូនអតិថិជនកម្ពុជា ក៏ដូចជាបណ្តាប្រទេសនៅប៉ែក អឺរ៉ុបថែមទៀតផង។តើការផលិតសន្លឹកគុយទាវខ្មែរ ធ្វើដូចម្ដេច? ហើយអាចជំរុញទីផ្សារក្នុងស្រុក និងក្រៅប្រទេសតាមវិធីណាខ្លះ?

Khmer Times: November 23, 2021

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a commitment and practice within Amru Rice. It is the core ethic that guides our long-term interests for integrating economic, social and environmental impacts to our operations and helping out poor smallholder farmers in the process, as partners. CSR is our “everyday business” and we are strengthening this framework at the local level through contract farming with local farms on a sustainable agriculture partnership; through food standards certification model; through fair trade, and by multiple-stakeholder platform that draws in government incentives to poverty reduction, health, and nutritional status of smallholder Cambodian food producers.

Amru Rice’s CEO, Mr. Song Saran.

In 2021, Amru Rice renewed and expanded its contract farming agreement to now 82 Agricultural Cooperatives (AC) across Cambodia that directly benefited almost 10,000 farmer’s households, including indigenous people and poor farmers in the remote upland areas with very limited access to market.

Cambodian economic progress should be inclusive, with “No One Left Behind.” Our proven approach supports disadvantaged people by improved farmer livelihood through incentive price for organic rice, empowering farmers’ capacity, and productivity by 20% and raising income by 50% more than the normal conventional practices. The producer cooperatives in contract farming gain market sustainability and profit, while trained on soft skills and practical skills on organic standards, internal audit systems and financial and institutional records and management. Amru’s contract farming model creates positive systemic change by phasing out the greedy middle-men traders, growing certified safe foods and promoting sustainable agriculture that is climate smart, resilient, and eco-friendly. Rising numbers of farmer partners in this endeavour is proof of this positive systemic change.

Amru Rice installed solar energy in its storage warehouse in Kampong Thom province to help reduce greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions. The company contributed 100 million riels to the National Committee for Disaster Management for seed distribution to 6650 famer’s households affected by flood in 2020 in Kampong Thom province. It provided a Rehabilitation Support Fund to 1000 households in 11 villages affected by flood and COVID19 to enable them to restore their income; each family received 5 kgs of rice, a box of fish can, and 120,000 Riels.

Amru Rice donated 150 liters of alcohol, 50,000 masks, 100 boxes of noodles, 12 cases of dried fish and 5 tons of rice from the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) to IDPoor households of Kampong Cham in May 2021 and rice and food supports for 6 months to 300 students at a primary school in Otdar Meanchey Province in November 2021.  For promoting ethical business as a beneficial concept in the agriculture sector, Amru Rice is officially awarded “CRS’s Excellence Award” from AmCham on November 16, 2021. “The AmCham Award to Amru  is not solely a corporate achievement, but a victory of our farmer suppliers who are moving forward the AMRU Rice Company’s CSR Plan of Action “ said Amru Rice’s CEO, Song Saran.

Cambodia Investment Review: November 17, 2021

The American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia (AmCham CSR) hosted its annual Corporate Social Responsibility awards – highlighting the good work many of its member companies and investors do to give back throughout the year.

Anthony Galliano, President of AmCham said in his keynote speech the United States of America is a nation of giving and those traditions are carried on here by our members in Cambodia.

The awards were judged by three US nationals Lauren Higgins, Economic Associate at the US Embassy, Sabine Joukes, Chief of Party for the USAID-funded Women Entrepreneurs Act project, and former State Department diplomat and ambassador William Munroe.

The three judges selected 18 companies across three categories of awards: COVID 19, environmental and social impact awards.

Telecoms provider Cellcard (CamGSM) won the COVID 19 award for establishing a vaccination center that delivered shots to over 10,000 people as well as creating a pandemic information hub using social media platforms. Automotive, equipment, services and food brands RMA Group Cambodia was runner up.

Hotel operator Hyatt Regency won the environmental award for sourcing ingredients locally to lower their carbon footprint and also donations to a used soap to eco-banks to benefit disadvantaged communities. Hotel operator Rosewood Phnom Penh was runner-up.

Money transfer network and commercial bank Wing Bank won the social impact award after it funded free treatment at a children’s hospital and established a donation drive through its nationwide agents. Finance and insurance provider AIA (Cambodia) Life Insurance was runner up.

Including the three category winners, there was also a judge’s special recognition which was awarded to Amru Rice, Fourth Culture and Khmer Organic.

All 18 selected companies also received recognition certificates for their participation in the event.

(Cambodia Investment Review: October 20, 2021)

In an exclusive interview with Cambodia Investment Review Leader Talks CEO of Amru Rice Cambodia Co., Ltd., Mr. Saran Song, Cambodia’s leading rice exporter and miller.

Saran shared the company’s ongoing business model, auditing progress for certified British Premium Standard, and the trial of BlocRice digital technology.

Rice is a nutritional staple food for more than half of the world’s population. With its huge necessity, Saran believes in the positive and sustainable impacts it can provide to the whole society.

Amru Rice Cambodia’s initiation was driven by the family background in the rice business sector during the 1960s and the government’s policy of​ exporting the country’s high volume of rice yields in 2008.

“We started in 2011 as a family-owned business in which there were not many people involved,” Saran said.

Rice makes up half of Cambodia’s agricultural GDP. Moreover, Cambodia is one of the top 10 rice exporters in the world, which exported 620,000 tons in 2019.

Transparency and Integrity have been set as the company’s vision aligning to the Cambodia Industrial Development Policy 2015-2025 which has been launched with one of the goals to keep sustainable and inclusive economic growth through the promoting of agro-industrial sector development.

Transparency and Integrity with Contract Farming as an Inclusive Business Model

Cambodia (IBeeC) Strategy for Inclusive business is the blueprint to encourage responsible business practices of all parties including the governments, donors, and impact investors.

Amru Rice was selected as one of the impact stories of inclusive business published for the 4th ASEAN Inclusive Business Summit on 22 September this year which was organized by the Inclusive Business Action Network (iBAN) and other international organizations.

“Our inclusive business model has been focusing on the welfare of the farmers, consumers, and the environment,” Saran said.

Through contract farming, the company will purchase the harvested crops from the farmers who followed the guidelines set by the company​​ which ranging from the prohibition of deforestation, killing animals, child labor, and violence for the whole society’s benefit.

“We commerce with transparency, not just for self-interest and damage the environment or other well-being because every life has its worth and Amru is about life,” Saran added.

Currently, there are around 10,000 households under the contract that prioritizes indigenous people mostly from remote areas such as Mondulkiri and Preah Vihear province.

“There are hardly any buyers in those remote areas so we contribute to their wishes by providing a market for them,” Saran said.

In addition, through the partnerships between international organizations, farmers will be supplied with crops, regular income based on the market price, and additional benefits based on the product’s quality and standard.

Fairtrade through digitalization “BlocRice”

A BlocRice app is currently being piloted with Oxfam organization and the Dutch government.

The application acts as a digital contract to provide full value chain transparency and traceability between all agriculture cooperatives including cooperative, exporter and importer, and the end consumers.

“Customers can communicate to the farmers by just scanning the barcode of the products on their phones by which they can be aware of who are the farmers, processors, and stockers, etc,” Saran said.

In addition, the consumer can trust that the farmers have been paid correctly and make an informed choice in selecting rice that complies with social conditions and fair production standards which is a form of fair trade that prevents and combat any act of exploitation.

“From A to Z, from the farmers to the customers can access to each other,” Saran said.

“This system will run smoothly once more farmers are familiar with the use of technology plus the technology literacy of the next generations,” Saran added.

Investments in AgriTech to ensure the top quality and standards of products

Amru Rice Cambodia has also been investing in a number of AgriTech projects for the manufacturing process including food processing, milling, and stocking.

“Most of the machines used in the manufacturing process are international standard machines which were imported from Japan, England, and Switzerland so we can ensure that our products comply with the international standards,” Saran said.

 “We try to adopt the latest technology in the manufacturing process that can ensure the best quality and standards,” Saran said.

The company is being examined to be eligible for a Premium British Standard called British Retail Consortium (BRC) by the external auditing firm next week in addition to Amru’s certified standards including ISO, GHPs, and HACCP.

“In the future, we are also in the stage of waiting to integrate robotic technology in the manufacturing process,” Saran said.

In addition, Saran mentioned being grateful for the support from the Khmer locals overseas especially in France and has called for more support for any Cambodian products not just Amru’s products from other Khmer residents in other European countries.

“Not just Amru’s products, we should support our products as long as they have gone through certified standards as if we can support Thai products with that standard, why can’t we support our local brands with those same standards,” Saran added.

The company is also planning on developing other organic rice processed products including rice for infants.

The company has just celebrated its 10th anniversary in February this year citing a decade of positive impacts to the whole society with various achievements and cooperation with both public and private sectors.

H.E Sakhon Veng, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries on October 14 published on his Facebook account that Cambodia exported 5.93 million tons of agricultural products to 90 countries and territories in the first nine months of this year.

Cambodia’s agri-food sector is ripe for investment, according to a panel of business experts from the private and public sector who discussed the potential for increased agricultural profits in the Kingdom.

Australia has reaffirmed its commitment in Cambodia’s agri-food sector detailing a new Agri-food Investments Desk collaboration with the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).

(Khmer Times: 13 October 2021)

The Royal Government of Cambodia actively promotes inclusive business models to transform the agricultural sector to a more equitable one. From 2017, ASEAN has adopted the Inclusive Business Framework and continue to prioritize IB agenda as a core policy tool dedicated for social solution at scales through and with the engagement from all stakeholders. Wired to the National Strategic Development Plan, an Inclusive Business Enabling Environment for Cambodia (IBeeC) was initiated and developed as a new cross-cutting policy that counts on Public Private Partnership for sustainable development. The strategy features a technical assistance facility to provide coaching for firms on inclusive business models, favoring strategic partnerships with smallholder producers, mentorships, and farmworker equity.

On 22 September 2021, the 4^th ASEAN Inclusive Business Summit will be held as an online event. The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Inclusive Business Action Network (iBAN) organized the event. It will showcase a diversity of business models in Southeast Asia that are helping build back better.

Amru Rice Company was selected as one of the impact story of inclusive business published for this event. Impact Story and Branding of IB Products. The Cambodian Strategy for Inclusive Business is important as a blueprint on how government, business, donors and Impact Investors can push for more responsible business practices. I believe that as we put the IB strategy into concreate implementation, we can mentor and encourage other business to be inclusive of their social responsibility.