Two parties will cooperate to strengthen communication on activities regarding sustainable and responsible livestock production and aquaculture, especially building a close value chain for livestock products, including feeds, input materials, care, slaughter, and processing procedures; promoting "made in Vietnam" pork, poultry, and seafood brand names that meet food safety and animal quarantine requirements with the aim for exports.

The agreement includes the technical support activities contributing to the promotion of digitalization and technological transformation in livestock production and farming in Vietnam; the establishment of disease-free livestock production areas in the Central Highlands and other areas; cooperation with livestock farming households and farms in order to supply quality breeding pigs, transfer science and technology and modern techniques to improve added value and ensure production efficiency in the field of pig farming.

Other contents of the focus in the communication agreement include establishing and developing cooperatives specializing in animal feed ingredients and modern livestock production cooperatives.

Vietnam Agriculture News and De Heus Vietnam will promote communication of the Netherlands’ experience in seed research, production organization, formation of growing areas of crops specialized for animal feed, and the utilization of by-products at slaughterhouses and seafood processing plants.

In addition, the two parties focus on the communication of training activities to improve the capacity and skills of cooperatives in animal feed ingredients, adoption of digital technology and 4.0 technology in the management and operation of livestock farming areas, reduce labor forces, veterinary medicines, improve product quality and safety; original traceability and transparency of all production procedures.

Mr. Gabor Fluit, CEO Asia (Chief Executive Officer) at Royal De Heus, said that De Heus Vietnam is the leading supplier of animal feeds in Vietnam. The firm also supports the research and development of specialized goods for industrial aquaculture, particularly shrimp and tra fish, which are the two primary force farming topics.

"Vietnam imports a massive amount of animal feed ingredients each year, almost USD 10 billion. With the sustainable development strategy, we opt for solutions to progressively gain mastery in ingredient sources for animal feed production, minimize the export of grains from South and North America to prevent the risk of long-distance transportation.", Mr. Gabor Fluit.

The CEO Asia (Chief Executive Officer) at Royal De Heus said that it should be made clear for farmers that producing maize and cassava yields more earnings than growing other crops. We must provide them with high-quality plant types, optimize manufacturing costs, cut expenses, and maintain a steady flow of goods.

De Heus will collaborate closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to establish corn and cassava material areas in Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum in the near future.  The Netherlands Development Organisation (Agriterra) will accompany De Heus and MARD to assist farmer organizations in enhancing the business capabilities of their members, enhancing the income and benefits of members, creating a beneficial cooperation environment, and assisting in the development of investment plans designed to generate profits for members.

Mr. Johan van de Ban, the General Director of De Heus Vietnam, said: "In order to support and develop with farmers, we have invested heavily in research and the discovery of methods to boost farmers' production efficiency. In Long An, for instance, we invested in a research farm to limit the usage of antibiotics, as well as developed and implemented advanced technologies for industrial chicken production. In Vinh Long, we constructed the biggest research facility of its type in Asia, focusing on nutritional solutions and environmental protection for aquaculture in Vietnam and other Asian nations.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Thach, Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Agriculture News, said that as a tribune of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam Agriculture News always promotes enterprises in the agricultural sector to develop green and sustainable agriculture for the common welfare.

"I got the opportunity to visit the production facilities of the Royal De Heus Group in the Netherlands and was really impressed with the Group's business strategy, in which the breeder is always placed at the center. I believe that De Hues Group would contribute to the creation of a sustainable ecosystem for the growth of the Vietnamese livestock industry via its commitment to basic principles, scientific and technical values, and cultural values and traditions.", said Mr. Thach. 

Translated by Linh Linh