Cargill remains committed to Vietnam; Celebrates 25th anniversary in country with inauguration of 100th school built in support of rural communities

Hanoi, Vietnam, December 9, 2020 – 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of Cargill’s operations in Vietnam. Over the last two and a half decades, the company has invested in the country and made a positive impact on the development of Vietnam’s agriculture sector, improve farmer livelihoods and enrich communities. The anniversary is also marked by Cargill’s completion its 100th school, built as part of the company’s Vietnam School Building Project which was created in 1996 to support the local community through education.

During its 25^th anniversary celebration, Cargill also announced plans to expand in the country, with a US $28 million investment in a new animal nutrition plant in the South of Vietnam. The facility will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, focusing on specialty nutrition and premix products to serve Vietnam livestock and aquaculture farmers with a broad range of animal nutrition offerings.  

“The last 25 years has been an amazing journey for Cargill in Vietnam. We are committed to the development of Vietnam’s agriculture sector and we are optimistic about the future for Cargill and for the farmers and communities across the country,” said John Fering, managing director, Cargill animal nutrition in Thailand and Vietnam. “As shown today, we will continue to make investments that advance Vietnam communities, create a brighter future for Vietnam’s future generations and help us deliver for Vietnamese customers, through quality animal nutrition and health innovations.”

For its outstanding contribution to the development of Vietnam’s livestock production in the past 25 years, Cargill Vietnam honorably receives the Certificate of Merit from the Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in a ceremony organized in Hanoi today.

Cargill’s presence in Vietnam

Cargill established its business in Vietnam in 1995, one of the first American companies investing after the normalization of Vietnam – U.S. relationship. Cargill has grown into one of the most trusted animal nutrition and agricultural commodity companies in Vietnam. The company has been providing customers and farmers high-quality products, solutions and services that are essential for safe and productive farming and market competitiveness.

To date, Cargill has invested more than US$160 million in Vietnam to build eleven animal nutrition plants, one grain and oilseed warehouse and two aqua technology application centers for fish and shrimp. Today, Cargill employs approximately 1,500 people in Vietnam. Through its presence here, Cargill brings global expertise, know-how and supply chain access to customers in Vietnam’s livestock and aquaculture sectors. Through animal health and nutrition workshops conducted since 1997, Cargill has trained 1.7 million farmers on health care, nutritional knowledge and best practices in farm management.

Giving back to Vietnam communities

Corporate Responsibility programs that support the communities where Cargill employees live and work have always been a priority for the company in Vietnam. The Cargill Cares Council, an employee-led initiative since 1996, has brought together employees, customers, suppliers and partners in community enrichment programs. The company has raised over US $5.5 million for Corporate Responsibility projects, notably building schools and providing quality educational facilities to serve more than 15,000 students per year.

To mark the milestone of its 25th anniversary in Vietnam, Cargill has successfully realized its goal of building and renovating 100 schools in 50 provinces across the country. The 100th school - Van Thanh primary school, Yen Thanh district, Nghe An province will be inaugurated on December 11th, 2020.

During COVID-19, Cargill donated over US $62,000 to the Vietnamese government’s relief fund to support necessary facilities and medical supplies for the fight against the pandemic. And most recently, Cargill and its employees provided 3,500 flood relief packages with a total value of US $42,500 to impacted households in Central Vietnam.

Nguyen Ba Luan, country president of Cargill in Vietnam, said, “Our presence in Vietnam over the last 25 years goes well beyond business activities, with our commitment to improve the livelihoods of animal farmers and changing lives through education, creating meaningful impact for both the industry and communities. We are extremely proud of the many successes of Cargill in Vietnam and remain committed to further investing in this high-potential country and contributing to its future progress.”

Cargill's efforts and contributions have been widely recognized by international and domestic agencies. It has been honored with several awards including the 3rd Grade Labor Medal, Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development for our positive contribution to Vietnam’s agricultural integration and value chain, 2015 US Secretary of State’s award for Corporate Excellence and Vietnam’s Best Place to Work in Agriculture from 2013 to 2018, to name a few.