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Makers of Koudijs break ground on 50,000 tonnes aquafeed plant
Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | De Heus Animal Nutrition broke ground for a state-of-the-art dedicated aquafeed plant in Njeru, near Jinja in central Uganda.
The plant will be able to produce 50,000 tonnes of fish feed per year, meeting the growing demand in the East African market.
Currently, most feeds are imported. The new local factory will offer a shorter, more flexible supply chain, De Heus said.
“At De Heus we believe in the potential of Africa and that is why we are investing in expanding our footprint: in South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, and recently with modern factories in Ghana and Ivory Coast. And now in Uganda,” said Theo Smalbraak, business group director Africa & Middle East.
“The impact of this plant goes beyond employment at the facility itself. We anticipate a significant positive effect on employment among fish farmers and our suppliers, as we aim to replace imports and source raw materials such as maize, cassava, soy, and others locally as much as possible.”
De Heus Animal Nutrition is an international producer of a complete range of compound feed, premixes, concentrates and feed specialties.
With the wild catch stagnating or decreasing and the population rapidly growing, farmed fish has become crucial to meet the increasing demand, said the Dutch feed producer.
“Uganda possesses immense potential for aquaculture, given its large lakes and favorable water temperatures that support year-round fish farming. By launching this plant, we aim to provide a positive boost to the aquaculture industry in Uganda and the surrounding countries.”
Expansion in Africa
In Uganda, the company operates under two distinct brands: De Heus for aqua feed and Koudijs for other livestock feeds.
Beyond Uganda, De Heus has been investing to expand its footprint in Africa: in South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, and more recently with new plants in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. It has close to 100 factories spread across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and it is now one of the top 10 global feed companies.
Last month saw De Heus Brazil officially inaugurate a plant in Itaberaí, Goiás. That factory specialises in producing feed and supplements for ruminants, with advanced technology, production management systems, and an automated process ensuring production safety and adherence to high-quality product standards, said the company.
The newly opened plant will significantly increase the company’s production capacity in the state from 40,000 to 180,000 tons per year.
De Heus entered the state of Goiás in 2019 through the acquisition of the former Cerrado Nutrição Animal site. It set about building the new feed plant within the same industrial complex, while the old factory was transformed into a warehouse for storing pig and poultry feed manufactured by other De Heus plants in Brazil.
The Dutch group has currentlly six plants in Brazil, alongside an administrative unit and a distribution center.
International competition
With many businesses contending for market share, the worldwide Premixed Pig Feed industry is extremely competitive, says a new report from Orbis Research which runs a comprehensive database of international market-related research.
Titled `Key Trends and Projection for Keyword Industry 2023-2031’ , the report says due to the existence of both established businesses and recent newcomers, the market is characterised by intense rivalry. It says strategic alliances, mergers, and acquisitions are the main focus of major market players as they seek to increase their market presence and obtain an advantage over rivals.
“They also invest a lot of money in R&D to enhance their range of goods and stay a few steps ahead of the competition,” it says.
In order to advertise their Premixed Pig Feed solutions and draw in a wider customer base, businesses are now implementing aggressive marketing methods. Globally speaking, the competitive environment in the Premixed Pig Feed market is dynamic and characterized by fierce competition, product innovation, and strategic partnerships among the major competitors.
