Netherlands' De Heus x Vietnam's Hung Nhon to build a high-tech chicken processing plant worth over VND 1 trillion in Tay Ninh Province
The Dutch feed major De Heus Royal Group and the Vietnamese agricultural company Hung Nhon Group will build a high-tech chicken processing plant, the "DHP Food Processing Complex," in the Trang Bang area of Tay Ninh Province. Total investment is on the scale of VND 1 trillion (about 5.9 billion yen), with a plan to export processed chicken products certified to Halal / ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000 for the EU, Japan, South Korea, and the Middle East.
Phase 1 construction began on February 24, 2026, aiming for completion by the end of 2026. It will have a European-standard production line with an annual processing capacity of 18.7 million birds, and is expected to begin shipping its first Halal-certified chicken products in early 2027.
The full scope of the project
The scale of the De Heus-Hung Nhon (DHN) joint venture's rollout
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Total joint-venture investment | VND 1.24 trillion (about 7.3 billion yen) |
| Number of projects | 15 in total in Tay Ninh Province and the Central Highlands |
| Main base | Trang Bang area, Tay Ninh Province |
| Processing-plant capacity | 18.7 million birds a year |
| 2036 target, broilers | 200 million breeding hens and 25 million broilers for export a year |
| 2036 target, pig farming | 10,000 breeding pigs |
| 2036 sales target | About US$2 billion (about 310 billion yen) |
| Certification | Halal / ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000 |
| Export destinations | EU, Japan, South Korea, the Middle East, Southeast Asia |
Background: the structural transformation of Vietnam's livestock industry
Vietnam's livestock industry is shifting rapidly from a dispersed type centered on small farmers to a company-led vertically integrated type. The De Heus-Hung Nhon effort builds an end-to-end value chain of feed production to breeding hens to broiler rearing to meat processing to export.
Tay Ninh Province is a southern agricultural province near the Cambodian border, solidifying its position as a livestock hub on the strengths of abundant farmland and relatively low labor costs. The provincial government is advancing a "high-tech livestock center" concept centered on De Heus-Hung Nhon and has already attracted over VND 1.3 trillion in related projects.
De Heus's Asia strategy
De Heus Royal Group Chairman Co de Heus clearly stated that "Vietnam is a key market for our Asia rollout strategy." In 2025 the group acquired 100% of the shares of CJ Feed & Care, advancing feed-market share expansion and vertical integration in parallel.
The investment scale in data
| Indicator | Figure | Yen conversion (about 170 VND per yen) |
|---|---|---|
| Total DHN joint-venture investment | VND 1.24 trillion | About 7.3 billion yen |
| Tay Ninh Province livestock-related investment | Over VND 1.3 trillion | Over about 7.6 billion yen |
| Additional investment 2026–2036 | About US$498 million | About 77.2 billion yen |
| 2036 sales target | About US$2 billion | About 310 billion yen |
Reactions from company and government officials
De Heus management
De Heus Vietnam and Asia CEO Johan Van Den Ban stated, "we will advance a high-tech, environmentally conscious livestock model together with our partners," emphasizing a policy of deploying European-standard technology transfer within Vietnam.
Tay Ninh provincial government
The Tay Ninh provincial chairman met with De Heus and Hung Nhon executives on March 25 and confirmed the progress of the 15 projects. He promised to set up a "disease-safe zone" and support obtaining export certifications. The province positions DHN-related business as a pillar of regional employment and tax revenue.
Industry views
In Vietnam's livestock industry, the view is spreading that if DHN's vertical-integration model succeeds, entry by other foreign-capital companies will accelerate too. Together with China's Haid Group's northern Vietnam feed plant investment, it is a structure in which foreign-capital-led modernization of livestock advances.
Implications for Japan
For Japan's food industry, this move cannot be ignored.
- Diversification of chicken procurement sources: Japan's imported chicken is mainly from Thailand and Brazil, but FSSC 22000-certified Vietnamese processed chicken could be added as a new option
- Linkage with the Halal market: with the DHN plant equipping Halal certification as standard, the raw-material procurement route widens for Japan's Halal-compliant food makers
- A point of contact for technical cooperation: in agricultural cooperation with Vietnam, Japan has Hanoi-Osaka cooperation and other cases at the municipal level are increasing. In the livestock field too, there is room for cooperation in cold-chain technology and quality management
Ripple effects on the industry
The DHN project is not just a story of one plant but could become the starting point of a larger flow of Vietnam's livestock industry turning into an export industry. Vietnam has traditionally centered on domestic consumption of chicken with limited export volume, but if a production regime premised on certifications for the EU, Japan, and South Korea is in place, it can aim at a position as a chicken exporter next to Thailand and Brazil.
Lam Dong Province's VietGAP support ordinance As this shows, a growing number of Vietnamese provinces are institutionalizing support for obtaining certification, and a supply system for "certified export goods" is taking shape across both livestock and crops.
Practical information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Joint venture partners | De Heus Royal Group (Netherlands) × Hung Nhon Group (Vietnam) |
| Processing plant name | DHP Food Processing Complex |
| Location | Trang Bang area, Tay Ninh Province |
| Phase 1 groundbreaking | February 24, 2026 |
| Scheduled completion | End of 2026 |
| First shipment scheduled | Early 2027 (Halal-certified chicken) |
| Certification standard | Halal / ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000 |
| Target export markets | EU, Japan, South Korea, the Middle East, Southeast Asia |
Summary
De Heus-Hung Nhon's broiler processing plant in Tay Ninh Province is a project that symbolizes the transformation of Vietnam's livestock industry into an export sector. With an investment of VND 1.24 trillion (about 7.3 billion yen), it vertically integrates everything from feed to processing and export, aiming for US$2 billion in sales by 2036. Entry into the Japanese, EU, and Middle Eastern markets through Halal/FSSC 22000 certification will add a new option to the international chicken supply chain. We will be following progress toward the plant's completion at the end of 2026 and its first shipment in early 2027.
