Nutreco announced earlier this week that it has formed two joint ventures with the largest animal feed producer in East Africa, Kenya-based Unga Group Plc, to meet the growing demand for high-quality protein within the East African region.
This partnership involves open-ended, Nutreco-managed joint ventures with two indirect subsidiaries of Unga Group, Unga Farm Care (EA) Limited in Kenya and Unga Millers (U) Limited in Uganda. The announcement underpins Nutreco’s commitment to its purpose of Feeding the Future.
On the investment, Skretting CEO Therese Log Bergjord says, “Food security in Africa is an ambition that is at the core of our purpose. We believe that by working together and investing locally we can truly strengthen the industry further and accelerate the needed growth of aquaculture in Africa.”
Together, Nutreco and Unga Group will tap into each other’s extensive expertise to continue meeting the growing demand for high quality protein.
The growing population in East Africa is expected to double from 170 million people to approximately 340 million people by 2050. With the increase in population, the demand for high quality protein from the aquaculture and agriculture sectors will rise accordingly.
Nutreco CEO Rob Koremans says, “I am thrilled to partner with Unga Farm Care and Unga Millers, companies that, like Nutreco, have extensive knowledge within the animal nutrition and aquaculture industries. Together, Nutreco and Unga Group will tap into each other’s extensive expertise to continue meeting the growing demand for high quality protein.”
Unga has over 100 years of grain-processing experience in East Africa and, as one of Kenya’s oldest companies, has become the largest animal feed miller in East Africa. Since its inception in 1909, Unga has grown from a wheat grain miller to manufacture and market a broad range of human nutrition, animal nutrition, and animal health products in East African countries. Unga has been a business partner of Nutreco’s divisions, Trouw Nutrition and Skretting for more than 25 years.
The facility has been built with an investment of EUR 18.5 million and will cater to domestic and export markets. It has three production lines with a capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes per annum.
Skretting’s second aquafeed factory in Vietnam opened in the Long An Province on 18 November. The investment aims to promote sustainable growth – to better serve and bring mutual benefits to its customers in the region.
