© Larive international
The Dutch animal feed company De Heus, together with consultancy Larive International and Viqon Water Solutions, is investing in Bangladesh’s fish and shrimp sector through the FoodTechBangladesh programme. The initiative, which is supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represents a joint investment of approximately €7 million, with the majority coming from the companies involved.
On 21 September in Cox’s Bazar, De Heus and its local partner FishTech opened a Centre of Excellence. The cenre features an IPRS (In-Pond Raceway System) – the first of its scale in the region – which is fully solar-powered. The facility will be used to farm high-quality fish and shrimp are to provide training for local farmers. The centre is one of four planned demonstration sites where a total of 1,800 local fish and shrimp farmers will be trained in modern, sustainable Dutch farming techniques.
“This project is about delivering high-quality fish nutrition and enabling the right infrastructure in Bangladesh to support the production of premium aquaculture products. It represents a strong collaboration between Dutch and Bangladeshi stakeholders. The opening of the Centre of Excellence in Cox’s Bazar marks an important milestone for our cooperation in Bangladesh,” said Johan van de Ban, CEO of De Heus Vietnam and Asia, in a press release.
The site was officially opened by His Excellency Joris van Bommel, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dhaka, along with Ms Farida Akhter, honourable advisor at the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock in Bangladesh.
“This is an important milestone in the cooperation between the Netherlands and Bangladesh. Public-private partnerships like this accelerate sustainable growth and knowledge transfer in aquaculture,” said ambassador Van Bommel.
Ms Akhter outlined the government’s vision: “We aim to ensure sustainable growth in aquaculture, with due regard for farmers and entrepreneurs. This Centre of Excellence contributes to productivity, innovation and farmer welfare across the sector.”
The six-year FoodTechBangladesh programme is led by Larive International, which has established similar partnerships in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kenya, Uganda and Eastern Europe.
“The enthusiasm from both the Dutch and Bangladeshi sectors shows there is ample opportunity to deepen cooperation in fish and shrimp farming. With these demonstration sites, we are accelerating the adoption of proven technologies and building lasting local capacity,” added Rogier Becker, senior project manager at Larive International.
