Wilmar International Limited
Agriculture
Wilmar is the company behind a brand most Chinese households know by heart: Arawana (Jinlongyu), China's best-selling cooking oil, which is made by Wilmar's subsidiary Yihai Kerry. The Singapore-listed group is the world's largest processor of palm oil and one of Asia's biggest agribusinesses, controlling the entire chain from plantations to supermarket shelves.
The business spans the full agricultural value chain: oil palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia, oilseed crushing and refining plants across Asia, flour and rice milling, sugar refining, and specialty fats for the food industry (the palm oil derivatives in chocolate, ice cream, and instant noodles). Its logistics network — ports, tankers, and bulk storage — moves millions of tonnes of agricultural commodities a year.
Founded in 1991 by Malaysian tycoon Kuok Khoon Hong (nephew of Robert Kuok, Asia's legendary sugar and property magnate), Wilmar employs about 100,000 people and generates annual revenue near US$67 billion. For food manufacturers and retailers, Wilmar is both ingredient supplier and finished-goods producer — and its vertically integrated model means it can source, process, and deliver edible oils at a scale few rivals can match.
