US agri firm Alltech opens Vietnam's first trace minerals plant

U.S.-based Alltech, a global leader in the agriculture industry, launched its newest Bioplex plant Wednesday as the first organic mineral production facility in Vietnam.

The state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Dong Nai province bordering Ho Chi Minh City is the eighth mineral production facility worldwide of Alltech, one of the world’s largest producers of organic minerals for animal nutrition.

The 1.7-hectare plant’s production capacity is 7,000 tons of products per year. Alltech did not reveal its investment capital for the facility.

Alltech president and CEO Mark Lyons said at the launching ceremony: “Our investment in enhancing our mineral production in Asia reflects our confidence in the market’s continued growth and our alignment with our customers’ commitment to better nutrition from farm to market.”

Bioplex minerals are trace minerals bound to amino acids and a range of peptides. The U.S. corporation says its range of minerals are supported by more than 21 years of research and offer higher bioavailability to animals than inorganic minerals.

Vietnam: dynamic market

Feed production in Vietnam increased nearly 7% in 2021, according to the Alltech Agri-Food Outlook, the company’s annual global feed production survey.

Vietnam’s total feed production in 2021 was 18.5 million tons, led by the swine sector with 7.84 million tons, an increase of nearly 20% over 2020. Aqua feed production soared 40% in 2021 to 6 million tons, broiler feed rose 9% to 2.12 million tons, layers feed production increased 11.7% to 2 million tons, and dairy increased 22% to 520,000 tons, according to the survey.

Green manufacturing

Alltech says the production facility in Vietnam was engineered to reduce the environmental impact of production. “The use of compressed natural gas versus fuel oil, a common fuel source in Vietnam, is expected to reduce the mineral plant’s nitrogen dioxide emissions by 80% and carbon monoxide emissions by 87.5%.”

The facility uses high-pressure clean-in-place (CIP) pumps for tank cleaning, reducing wastewater by 50%. Its dust collection system is 99% efficient.

Meanwhile, the use of inverter motors saves electricity consumption by 5% by utilizing variable frequency drive (VFD), which also allows for the control of speed and torque to reduce chances of mechanical failures.

According to the firm, its Vietnam plant’s production system uses fluid bed drying (FBD) technology, which requires 48% less thermal consumption than conventional spray dryers. The facility is certified by ISO 22000:2018, which sets out the requirements for a food safety management system.

As more of the minerals are taken up by animals, mineral excretion through manure is reduced, minimizing environmental impacts on land and water. The new facility also utilizes the Alltech quality plus program that the Kentucky-headquartered manufacturer says guarantees quality, safety, and performance in every batch.