Mavin Group breaks ground on $13.3 mln agricultural complex in northern Vietnam highlands

Australian-backed Mavin Group on Saturday broke ground on its Mavin Mai Son animal feed production and agricultural products processing factory complex in the northwestern province of Son La.

The VND350 billion ($13.3 million) complex, located in the Chieng Mung commune-based Mai Son Industrial Park, aims to bring products to the markets from 2026 and turn Son La province into the northwestern region's husbandry center.

Mavin Mai Son, invested by Mavin Son La Company Lld. - a subsidiary of Mavin Group, is identified as a strategic project to help Son La increase the value of its agricultural sector through deep processing with modern technology.

Covering over 109,579 square meters, the complex includes two components: an animal and poultry feed production factory with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons and an agricultural products processing factory (corn, cassava etc.) with an annual capacity of 300,000 tons.

David Whitehead, chairman of Mavin Group, said that Son La has a large agricultural land area and diverse climate which are advantages for the development of livestock, poultry, and aquaculture.

In recent years, the province's husbandry output has increased steadily, especially cattle, pigs, and poultry. Son La is also home to corn and cassava raw material areas for animal feed processing.

However, the major limitation is that the added value is not high, because most of the products are still in raw form, unprocessed, or processed on a small scale.

Speaking at the ceremony, Whitehead noted that Mavin Mai Son is the first step in Mavin's strategy to expand its operations in the northwestern region. The group is determined to close the value chain from feed production and husbandry to processing, and wish to work with Son La province to build this place into a husbandry center for the northwestern region.

Following the Mavin Mai Son project, Mavin Group will continue to invest in large-scale husbandry complexes applying high technology and under cooperation models with farmers, and move towards investing in meat processing plants, contributing to the formation of a modern and sustainable agricultural ecosystem in Son La and neighboring provinces.

Mavin Group is the successor of Austfeed, a joint venture project between Vietnam and Australia, started with an animal feed factory in Hung Yen.

It is one of the few enterprises in Vietnam possessing closed agricultural value chains, including animal feed, livestock, veterinary medicine, and food processing.

The company's system of factories, farms, research centers, and distribution networks are present in many provinces and cities in Vietnam.

Mavin is also a strategic partner of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a financial arm of the World Bank Group.

On its website, the group claims it is also the first enterprise in Vietnam to implement highly automated systems in all the production process to increase productivity and limit the negative effects on the environment.