Dutch animal nutrition company De Heus Royal Group has inaugurated its first dedicated marine and cold-water fish feed manufacturing facility in Vietnam, reinforcing its long-term commitment to one of the world's fastest-growing aquaculture markets while supporting the country's ambition to build a more sustainable and globally competitive seafood industry.
Located in Thanh Duc Ward, Vinh Long Province, the new facility has an annual production capacity of 84,000 tonnes and has been purpose-built to manufacture specialized feed for marine and cold-water fish species. The investment expands De Heus' aquafeed portfolio in Vietnam and strengthens domestic production of high-performance nutrition solutions tailored to the country's evolving aquaculture sector.
Spanning nearly 29,300 square metres, the factory features automated production systems equipped with processing technologies sourced from Europe and the United States. The company said the plant has been designed to meet internationally recognised standards, including ISO 22000, ASC Feed, and Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certifications, while incorporating energy-efficient manufacturing processes and improved raw material utilisation to reduce environmental impact.
The investment comes at a time when Vietnam is accelerating the modernization of its seafood sector. Feed accounts for one of the largest production costs in aquaculture and plays a decisive role in animal health, growth performance, feed conversion efficiency and final product quality. Marine and cold-water species require highly specialised nutritional formulations, making domestic production increasingly important as the industry scales.
According to Johan van den Ban, General Director of De Heus Vietnam and Asia, the Vinh Long facility forms part of the company's long-term investment strategy in Vietnam. He said marine aquaculture and cold-water fish farming represent significant growth opportunities for the country, and the company intends to support producers through advanced nutrition, manufacturing technologies and technical expertise that improve farm productivity while strengthening the sustainability of seafood production.
Beyond manufacturing, De Heus plans to expand technical support and species-specific nutritional programmes, helping producers optimise farming practices, improve feed efficiency and produce higher-quality seafood for both domestic consumption and export markets.
The company has steadily expanded its presence in Vietnam over the past two decades, investing not only in production facilities but also in research and development, technology transfer and farmer advisory programmes aimed at improving livestock and aquaculture performance. The new Vinh Long investment marks another milestone in that long-term strategy, with a particular focus on high-value aquaculture species.
Local officials view the project as more than a manufacturing investment. Tran Tri Quang, Chairman of the Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee, described the facility as an important addition to the region's aquaculture supply chain that will improve producers' access to advanced nutritional technologies while strengthening the Mekong Delta's position as a centre for agricultural and seafood processing investment.
The inauguration also underscored the growing agricultural partnership between Vietnam and the Netherlands. Raïssa Marteaux, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ho Chi Minh City, said continued Dutch investment is helping accelerate innovation, sustainability and technological collaboration across Vietnam's agriculture and aquaculture industries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung said the project reflects Vietnam's broader transition from traditional agricultural production toward a modern agriculture-based economy driven by technology, value addition and sustainability. With more than 3,260 kilometres of coastline and an extensive maritime area exceeding one million square kilometres, Vietnam possesses significant natural advantages for expanding offshore aquaculture and cultivating high-value marine species.
The Deputy Minister emphasised that the country's future competitiveness will depend not only on expanding production but also on improving technology, strengthening value-chain integration and enhancing product quality. He called for closer collaboration between government, industry, research institutions, financial organisations and producers to build internationally competitive seafood supply chains.
He also outlined three strategic priorities for Vietnam's aquaculture sector: improving the regulatory environment to attract greater investment; accelerating science, technology and digital transformation to support green growth; and fostering stronger partnerships across the seafood value chain, with farmers remaining at the centre of industry development.
As global demand for responsibly produced seafood continues to rise, investments such as the Vinh Long plant illustrate how nutrition, technology and sustainability are becoming increasingly interconnected. By combining advanced manufacturing with technical expertise and internationally recognised production standards, De Heus is positioning itself to play a larger role in the next phase of Vietnam's blue economy.
