Cargill has opened an innovation centre in Bac Lieu Province to help shrimp farmers improve farm management. — VNS Photo

Cargill has opened a shrimp-focused technology application centre in Bac Lieu Province, a shrimp farming hub.

The 1.2ha centre, which has several ponds, a training facility and a research station, is Cargill’s second such facility in Viet Nam and the third in the region.

“[It] will apply shrimp farming knowledge and technology from around the world within the local framework,” Jesper Clausen, technology application lead, Cargill’s aquaculture nutrition business in Asia, said.

“In Viet Nam, this means helping farmers address challenges such as disease in shrimp farming and complement current farming practices with new techniques and improved feed.”

At the centre, the company is co-operating with the Research Institute of Aquaculture No. 2 in Bac Lieu to run various full-cycle trials to find the best ingredient combinations and improve existing diets with less impact on the environment.

It will also help speed up the pace of product development with increased focus on solutions for shrimp.

Chad Gauger, managing director, Cargill Aquaculture Nutrition, Asia South, said: “Viet Nam is an important and growing market for animal nutrition. Today, after 23 years of operating in Viet Nam, Cargill has 11 manufacturing facilities across the country, employing 1800 people, 99 per cent of whom are Vietnamese. — VNS