News & Events

Vietnam News, February 11, 2004

CAN THO — Viet Nam’s first rice bran oil extracting plant opened in the Mekong Delta province of Can Tho last Saturday, after 18 months’ construction.

The plant, which is located on a 4.3ha in the Hung Phu Industrial Park, is able to process 100,000 tonnes of rice bran and turn out 15,000 tonnes of bran oil for export, mostly to Japan.

The Cai Lan Oils & Fats Industries Co (Calofic) will also supply its by-products to be used as animal feed in the local market, especially fish farms, in the Mekong Delta.

Minister for Industry Hoang Trung Hai, said "the Can Tho Rice Bran oil extracting plant, one of the biggest of its rind in the Mekong Delta, will make a significant contribution to the industrial sector to support agricultural and rure development in the country."

"Mekong Delta provinces will benefit a lot from the bran oil extracting plant which can process 400 tonnes of rice bran a day," said Calofic chairwoman Duong Thi Ngoc Trinh.

Calofic invested US$7 million in the project and the capital for the plant would be refunded in 40 months, Trinh said.

Chairwoman Trinh said the successful operation of the facility would prompt the company to build similar plants in the Mekong and the Red river deltas in the future.

Michael Oliveiro, business manager of Calofic Can Tho, said the rice bran oil plant project was drawn up after former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet suggested they use their local raw materials for their production lines four year ago.

Established in 1996, Calofic is a 68/32 joint venture between Siteki Investment Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Kuok Oils & Grain Ltd of Singapore, and local Vocarimex.

The company’s investment in Viet Nam rose from $22 million when it built the Cai Lan Oil Refinery in Quang Ninh northern Province eight years ago to $57.4 million recently.

Calofic is building its third food processing plant in Da Hoai District, Lam Dong Province. — VNS