Cargill continuing to generate varied capabilities to Vietnamese aquaculture

Pilar Cruz, president and group leader of Cargill Aqua Nutrition

Cargill has spent decades operating in Vietnam. How is the Vietnamese market important to the firm in its development strategy?

Vietnam is important to us globally. Cargill produced the first animal compound feed in the country, and we have been one of the leading animal feed and agricultural commodity companies here, contributing to the advancement and delivery of technology and farming know-how to Vietnamese animal farmers.

Cargill brings global expertise, know-know and supply chain capabilities to serve customers in Vietnam’s livestock and aquaculture sectors. We continue to see tremendous opportunity in Vietnam, and we intend to keep investing in and growing our business here, both in terms of capacity and capabilities.

How varied do you see the advantages in the Vietnamese market, and what are Cargill’s solutions for the disadvantages?

Aquaculture in Vietnam continues to have important potential, and our company is fully committed to partnering with our customers to support their growth. That’s why it is important for us to listen to our customers and help them succeed. Technology will continue to play an important role in shaping farming, both in Vietnam and around the world, as farmers increasingly use technology to inform their decision-making and improve their operations.

We anticipate that Vietnam will move towards fewer, bigger, more efficient farms. We recently launched our pioneering extruded shrimp feed technology in Vietnam, a specific feed solution that delivers superior performance for more intensive shrimp farming conditions. Solutions such as this directly support the changing needs of our customers and the industry, and help drive future growth of Vietnam’s aquaculture.

What will be Cargill’s focus be in Vietnam for the near future?

We are very excited about Cargill’s potential here – both for our customers and for our company. Food production needs to more than double between 2010 and 2050 to meet projected demand. Feed is a major factor in this sustainable growth – and of utmost importance is formulating feeds in the most effective way to deliver healthy protein in the most efficient way.

Going beyond extra functionality in the feeds, improving health and welfare capabilities also helps increase overall feed efficiencies – giving greater yields from less feed and delivering sought-after nutrients that consumers seek.

To support these objectives, Cargill set up a shrimp technical application centre in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu to provide better and faster access to technologies for farmers. We will continue making meaningful investments in Vietnam – all aimed at helping our customers, and the world, thrive. We will do that by investing in facilities, talent, and in the communities in which we operate.

What will Cargill do to maintain its leading position in the animal feed production and aqua sector in Vietnam, and to compete against its rivals?

Cargill brings a broad and differentiated range of capabilities to serve customers in Vietnam’s aquaculture sectors.

We have a reputation for reliability, quality and service – and are pioneers in extruded feed technology as mentioned earlier. For the last decade, our AQUAXCEL™ fish and extruded shrimp starter feed has led the market in terms of premium quality and performance in young animal nutrition.

Last month, we launched new, innovative micro-extrusion technology in Vietnam for grower shrimp feed. This AQUAXCEL™ extruded grower feed leverages Cargill’s global expertise and is the first of its kind sold in Vietnam, providing farmers with better feed quality, better water quality and fast growth.

In livestock feed, we are also focusing on both swine and poultry as they are the most largely consumed animal protein in Vietnam.

Cargill has launched a new business unit focused on animal and human health products. Could you offer more details?

Cargill is making a significant investment to build a leading digestive and immune health business for both animal and human applications, emphasising the growing importance of health for both animals and consumers. This new business unit demonstrates our commitment to growing this capability and establishing Cargill as a leading player in the industry.