SINGAPORE: Singapore and Cambodia have signed an agreement to strengthen food security and bilateral rice trade and avoid unnecessary trade restrictions between the countries.
Under the memorandum of cooperation inked on Friday (April 10), the Cambodian government will support the sale of rice on mutually agreed terms upon request by Singapore’s government, said the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) in a statement.
It is the third agreement on rice trade that Singapore has inked in recent months, after similar agreements with Vietnam and Thailand in late 2025.
The agreement was signed by Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu, and Cambodia’s Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul.
Fu said: “Ongoing geopolitical tensions increase the risk of global food supply disruptions. The signing of this (memorandum of cooperation) is win-win and reaffirms the close cooperation between both countries in strengthening bilateral food trade and security.”
This pact comes three days after Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam told Parliament that Singaporeans should be prepared for food from some countries to be unavailable, and should be flexible in choosing alternatives, amid the Middle East conflict.
Singaporeans have also been advised to brace themselves for higher food and electricity prices.
Since 2025, Singapore has inked agreements with several countries to maintain food supply and strengthen trade during disruptions as part of its renewed food security push.
As Singapore imports more than 90 per cent of its food, some of these pacts provide assurance that there would not be trade restrictions imposed on food items.
The Republic also forged a deal with New Zealand on essential food items in October 2025, and is exploring the formation of an agri-tech food zone with Brunei in the Sultanate.
“Singapore will continue to explore mutually beneficial agreements with like-minded economies to strengthen our food supply resilience,” said the MSE. - The Straits Times/ANN
