Minister Trinh Viet Hung works with Co-President, Global CEO Co de Heus

On May 6, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung received and held a working meeting with Mr. Co de Heus, Co-President and Global CEO of De Heus Group, on the occasion of his visit and working trip to Viet Nam.

Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung received and held a working meeting with Mr. Co de Heus, Co-President and Global CEO of De Heus Group, during his visit and working trip to Vietnam. Photo: Khuong Trung.

At the meeting, Minister Trinh Viet Hung expressed strong appreciation for the achievements of cooperation between De Heus Group and Hung Nhon Group in recent years. According to the Minister, this partnership serves as a typical model of value chain linkage in the agricultural sector and stands as vivid evidence of the strategic partnership between Viet Nam and the Netherlands.

He also commended the long-term strategic vision and high-tech projects being implemented by the two groups, including De Heus’s acquisition of additional animal feed operations from South Korea’s CJ Group in Asia. Minister Trinh Viet Hung expressed confidence that, with its extensive experience and long-standing values, De Heus will turn these advantages into momentum to advance Viet Nam’s livestock sector toward sustainable development.

Chairman Co de Heus congratulated Minister Trinh Viet Hung on his leadership role in the Agriculture and Environment sector, while also expressing appreciation for the Vietnamese Government’s efforts to progressively streamline its administrative apparatus and foster an increasingly open and enabling investment environment.

Sharing his operational philosophy, Mr. Co de Heus emphasized the importance of collaboration within the global value chain. Drawing on his experience working with farmers and small enterprises in many countries, he noted that as farms scale up in a modern and professional direction, granting direct management authority to large farms operated by local farmers themselves can deliver optimal efficiency.

Currently, De Heus Group is implementing a strategic initiative to create opportunities and enhance farmers’ management capacity in operating large-scale farms, while also transferring knowledge, providing high-quality breeding stock, optimizing animal feed, and strengthening disease control.

Mr. Gabor Fluit, CEO of Royal De Heus Group, stated: “We aim to equip Vietnamese livestock farmers with the most advanced tools to enhance their competitiveness, enabling them to maximize automation and reduce costs. In practice, closely coordinated business models with local partners have proven to deliver superior efficiency.”

Promoting investment and completing the value chain

At the meeting, representatives of the De Heus - Hung Nhon partnership reported on a modern slaughterhouse complex project in Tay Ninh with a total investment of USD 30 million. To meet the stringent animal quarantine standards of the Japanese and European markets, De Heus proposed close coordination with the specialized agencies of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on the technical roadmap.

Minister Trinh Viet Hung expressed his confidence and urged the group to accelerate the project’s implementation. He affirmed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will direct its affiliated units to coordinate and support the removal of bottlenecks related to quarantine procedures and quality control, with a view to bringing products to international markets as soon as possible.

Regarding input materials, Co-President and Global CEO Co de Heus proposed promoting maize cultivation in Viet Nam’s Central region, where yields are relatively high but production potential remains underexploited, with the aim of gradually replacing imported maize.

Minister Trinh Viet Hung stated that if De Heus Group commits to stable off-take agreements, farmers will be willing to engage in large-scale maize production. "Viet Nam is currently importing a large volume of animal feed raw materials. If domestic supply can meet this demand, it will significantly ease pressure on businesses while enhancing national self-sufficiency in feed inputs," the Minister emphasized.

In particular, based on the orientation for Halal sector development under Decision No. 10/QĐ-TTg toward 2030, Minister Trinh Viet Hung proposed that De Heus Group pay attention to researching and developing livestock value chains in line with Halal standards. This is considered a highly promising market, with around 2 billion consumers and an estimated global value of up to USD 10 trillion.

A facilitating mindset, accompanying businesses

Concluding the meeting, Minister Trinh Viet Hung reaffirmed the consistent policy of the Party and the Government to shift from a "managing" approach to one that is "facilitating, accompanying, and co-developing" with businesses.

Minister Trinh Viet Hung took a commemorative photo with leaders of De Heus and Hung Nhon groups. Photo: Khuong Trung.

According to the Minister, sector-specific laws under the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment are being revised to remove bottlenecks and create more favorable conditions for investment and business activities.

He also expressed expectations for the long-term, science-based investment outcomes of the De Heus - Hung Nhon partnership, which are expected to make meaningful contributions to the sustainable development of Viet Nam’s livestock sector in the coming period