Phnom penh: H.E. Mrs. Cham Nimul, Minister of Commerce, received a courtesy call from Mr. Gaurav Patil, Senior Vice President and Country Head of Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) in Vietnam, and his delegation. The meeting focused on promoting and exploring opportunities for cooperation in developing Cambodia’s cashew value chain.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, Mr. Gaurav Patil highlighted that Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) Vietnam operates under the Olam Group, a multinational company with headquarters in Singapore and operations in over 60 countries. The Olam Group is a significant player in the food and agri-business sector, providing supplies to customers around the globe.

Olam Group established Olam Outspan (Cambodia) in 2017 to promote investment in the processing of Cambodian cashew nuts and other agricultural products, including mango, durian, and pineapple. Mr. Patil noted that Cambodia’s strong potential, coupled with its stable economic and political environment, has encouraged OFI to consider expanding its investments, particularly in cashew processing.

He proposed strengthening cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce to explore mechanisms that would further promote the processing of Cambodia’s agricultural products. H.E. Mrs. Cham Nimul welcomed Mr. Patil and his delegation, expressing appreciation for the company’s confidence in expanding its operations in Cambodia.

Both parties agreed to continue their cooperation in promoting and developing Cambodia’s cashew processing sector and other potential products. Cashews are considered one of Cambodia’s potential cash crops, alongside rice, rubber, cassava, and others.

According to the Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia (CAC), the country has planted cashew trees across approximately 700,000 hectares in ten provinces. Cambodia earned US$1.5 billion from raw cashew nut exports in 2025, marking a 30 percent increase from the previous year, as reported by the CAC.