De Heus opens $20mln aquatic feed plant in Can Tho

Dutch animal nutrition product supplier De Heus opened a new aqua feed mill in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on September 26. The grand opening ceremony was an important part of celebrations for the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands.

Located at the Tra Noc II Industrial Park in O Mon district and with total investment of VND500 billion ($20 million), the De Heus Can Tho Aqua Feed Mill has a total designed capacity of 240,000 tons annually and is dedicated to producing pangasius feed. All products are manufactured using state-of-the-art European and US production technology. The entire production process, from input to output, is controlled by a fully-automated system and strictly managed in accordance with ISO 22000, BAP, and GLOBALG.A.P. standards.

Mr. Daniel Stork, Dutch Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, took the occasion to highlight the strong relationship between the two countries, which is based on long-term commitments and partnerships in various fields, such as agriculture, sustainable development, and water management. The opening of the new plant also contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially with regard to achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture, he added.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Koen De Heus, CEO of De Heus Animal Nutrition, said Vietnam is well positioned to become one of the world’s most important sources of aquatic protein. “We are committed to keep developing our strategic position in Vietnam together with our local and international partners,” he told the gathering.

For his part, Mr. Johan van den Ban, CEO of De Heus Vietnam, said that through innovative nutritional solutions and a thorough understanding of both local and international markets, De Heus Vietnam is constantly striving to help Vietnam’s fish farmers develop successfully and sustainably. “We also try to play a coordinating role in value chains in which we are active, by helping farmers gain access to top-quality genetics solutions, providing them with technical management solutions, access to finance. and links with markets.”

Its strategic location near a river port provides the feed mill with outstanding advantages for transporting raw materials to the plant and finished products to farmers. De Heus has developed an innovative bulk feed transportation system for pangasius feed. Based on this model, floating aqua feed products can be transported efficiently from feed mill to farm by river. This results in significant cost reductions, a much smaller greenhouse gas emissions footprint due to more efficient transportation, no use of plastic packaging materials, and less transportation and production losses.

Known for its green ambitions and commitments to sustainable agriculture, De Heus signed an MoU in March to develop a rooftop solar power portfolio. With a total capacity of up to 20 MWp, the portfolio is Vietnam’s largest rooftop solar project in 2023 and is scheduled to be completed in 2024. The 458 kWp system at the Can Tho Aqua Feed Mill is projected to prevent 470 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

All in all, these efforts aim at building an efficient and sustainable pangasius industry that can adapt to climate change and, primarily, protect the environment, while still competitively fulfilling the demands of international markets.