A Dutch-Vietnamese alliance invests US$380 million in Tay Ninh province, toward forming a high-tech livestock cluster
On March 25, 2026, in Tay Ninh province in southern Vietnam, Le Van Han, chairman of the province's people's committee, held a progress-review meeting with executives of the Netherlands' De Heus Group and Vietnam's Hung Nhon Group. The 12 high-tech livestock projects the two companies are jointly advancing have, at present, an investment amount of about US$380 million (about 57 billion yen) and, including the expansion phase through 2036, US$498 million (about 74.7 billion yen) the plan is for it to swell to that. Tay Ninh province is one of the nine provinces and cities making up the Southern Key Economic Region, and with its transport access to Ho Chi Minh City and vast farmland as strengths, it aims to be 'a new core of Vietnamese livestock farming.'
The full picture of the investment: 80 million breeding chickens, 25 million export broilers, 10,000 great-grandparent pigs
The projects the De Heus–Hung Nhon alliance is undertaking in Tay Ninh province are distinctive for building an integrated closed-loop value chain from breeding-chicken production through slaughter and processing. The main production capacity at full operation is as follows.
- Annually 80 million birds of breeding-chicken production
- Annually 25 million birds of export broiler shipments
- 10,000 head of great-grandparent pig rearing
- Annually 18.7 million birds a high-tech slaughter and processing plant with that processing capacity
All facilities GlobalGAP and ISO are designed to be operated under the international standards of these, managing the feed mill, breeding farms, fattening farms, processing plant and distribution in a single chain. Through 'visualization' from breeding to the store shelf, it aims for a system that can respond immediately to the quality requirements of export destinations.
Background: ASF, the shift to poultry, and the wave of 'livestock DX'
Vietnam's livestock industry has been plagued in recent years by intermittent outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF). In 2025, infection was confirmed in 122 communes and administrative districts nationwide, squeezing the finances of pig farmers. As a result, many small farmers shifted production from pigs to poultry. With their short turnaround and quick return on investment, poultry rapidly grew in presence as 'a risk hedge for the ASF era.'
On the other hand, conventional small-scale, dispersed production has limits in the traceability and quality control demanded by international markets. The De Heus–Hung Nhon alliance's Tay Ninh investment is an attempt to solve such structural challenges with a 'closed-loop value chain plus European technology.' The Vietnamese government, too, has set a 2026 agriculture, forestry and fishery export target of US$73–74 billion and the upgrading of the livestock sector aligns with national policy.
Investment breakdown and main partners
| Item | Amount (USD) | Yen conversion (1 USD = 150 yen) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current 12 projects | US$380 million | About 57 billion yen | Breeding chickens, broilers, pig farming, processing plant, feed mill |
| 2026–2036 expansion plan | US$498 million | About 74.7 billion yen | Expansion of layer hens and pullet production |
| Total (through 2050) | US$878 million | About 131.7 billion yen | Positioning Tay Ninh province as a long-term base |
European technology partners
| Company name | Country | Area of responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Bel Ga | Belgium | Breeding chickens and breeding technology |
| Olmix | France | Feed additives and biosecurity |
| Big Dutchman | Germany | Barn equipment and automation systems |
| Orvia | France | Poultry breeding and genetic resources |
| Den Ouden GrowSolutions | Netherlands | Environmental control and growth management |
| TTC Energy | Vietnam | Solar power generation and energy supply |
Local reaction
Le Van Han (chairman of the Tay Ninh province people's committee):'This livestock cluster aligns with the province's development strategy and makes use of the natural advantages of available land and a robust transport network,' he said, and promised to speed up administrative procedures.
Industry voices: An official of Tay Ninh province's agriculture department expresses hope that the large-scale investment will not only create local jobs but also become an opportunity for surrounding small farmers to enter the supply chain. A model is under consideration in which breeding chickens and feed are provided under a contract-farm scheme and farmers concentrate on fattening.
Exporters' view: The Halal chicken market for the Middle East and Southeast Asia is on an expansion trend, and a view has emerged that if the first shipment is realized in 2027, it could take market share from Thailand.
What it suggests for agricultural players and importers
This project symbolizes Vietnam's move to shift from 'an exporter of low-cost raw materials' to 'a supplier of high-value livestock products.' For Japanese food importers, the following points deserve attention.
- Halal-certified chicken: The Middle East is the main target, but it could also be a supply candidate for Japan's domestic Halal demand (for inbound tourists and resident Muslims)
- GlobalGAP- and ISO-compliant quality: European-standard hygiene management may lower the hurdle of import screening
- Diversification of chicken-product sourcing: Vietnamese product emerges as a third option after Brazil and Thailand
On the other hand, Vietnam's logistics costs are 20–25% of production costs which remains high, and there is concern that securing refrigerated containers steadily will become a bottleneck for export expansion.
Ripple effects on the industry
If the De Heus–Hung Nhon alliance's Tay Ninh investment succeeds, the following ripple effects could arise in Vietnam's livestock industry.
- Acceleration of competing investment: Existing players such as CP Group (Thailand) and Japfa (Singapore) may also consider expansion in the south
- Standardization of the circular model: An energy-self-sufficiency model that turns livestock by-products into biogas and combines it with solar becomes a reference case for horizontal rollout to other provinces
- Upgrading of ASF countermeasures: Technology transfer from biosecurity-advanced countries (Belgium and the Netherlands) becomes a trigger to raise the disease-prevention level of Vietnam as a whole
- Impact on the feed industry: The expansion of large-scale integrated production may prompt a reorganization of domestic feed makers
Practical information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Investing entities | De Heus Group (Netherlands) + Hung Nhon Group (Vietnam) |
| Investment destination | Tay Ninh province (Southern Key Economic Region, about 100 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City) |
| Total investment (through 2050) | About US$878 million (about 131.7 billion yen) |
| Scheduled first Halal chicken shipment | Early 2027 |
| Main target markets | Middle East and Southeast Asia |
| Certification standards | GlobalGAP、ISO |
| Environmental measures | Biogas power generation, organic fertilizer conversion, co-located solar |
| Recent administrative developments | On March 25, 2026, Tay Ninh province held a progress-review meeting |
Summary
The De Heus–Hung Nhon alliance's investment advancing in Tay Ninh province is not merely the construction of a large-scale livestock farm. A model that integrates the cutting-edge technology of five European companies and manages every step from breeding to processing and export in a closed loop is a project that embodies the 'industrialization' of Vietnamese livestock farming. If the first Halal chicken shipment is realized in 2027, Vietnam's presence as a Southeast Asian poultry-exporting country second to Thailand will rise a further notch. For Japanese livestock-product importers too, it is a move to watch closely as a development that widens sourcing options.
