HÀ NỘI — A major US agricultural trade mission to Việt Nam has selected Vinamilk’s Mega Dairy Plant as the only dairy production facility on its itinerary, highlighting the scale and automation of its operations, as well as the Vietnamese company’s product development strategy, investment in raw materials and longstanding ties with the US agricultural sector.
“Remarkable” was how Mark Slupek, Deputy Administrator of the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), described the production and logistics systems at Vinamilk’s Vietnam Dairy Mega Factory, commonly known as the Mega Plant.
Following the visit, he said many members of the delegation were also surprised by the plant’s scale and high level of automation.
The visit took place as part of an agricultural trade mission to Việt Nam from November 9 to 12, led by US Under Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Alexander Vaden.
According to the USDA, this was the largest trade mission ever organised by FAS to Việt Nam, bringing together dozens of businesses, industry associations and agricultural officials from various US states.
Vinamilk’s Mega Plant was the only dairy factory and one of just three production facilities selected for on-site visits. The programme provided an opportunity for delegates to gain first-hand insights into Việt Nam’s dairy production capabilities and explore cooperation opportunities across the agricultural and food value chains of the two countries.
At the Mega Plant, the delegation was introduced to a production facility with a designed annual capacity of up to 800 million litres of milk, equivalent to supplying nearly half of Việt Nam’s children with a carton of milk every day.
The entire process, from raw material reception and processing to packaging, storage and distribution, is highly automated. The plant operates in accordance with international quality and food safety standards and meets stringent requirements in export markets, with certifications including FDA, Halal, ISO and FSSC.
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| Vinamilk’s Mega Plant features a 35-metre-high, 17-level smart warehouse with a capacity of more than 27,000 product lots, one of the facilities that particularly impressed the US delegation. |
One of the facility’s most impressive features was its 35-metre-high smart warehouse, which has 17 storage levels and a capacity of more than 27,000 product lots.
The warehouse employs automated guided vehicles (LGVs), rail-guided vehicles (RGVs) and stacker cranes, alongside an automated management system, enabling goods to be stored, retrieved and handled with high precision while minimising manual intervention.
Following the tour, Slupek said many delegates had expressed surprise at the plant’s production scale and degree of automation. He particularly praised Vinamilk’s smart warehouse, describing it as one of the most impressive storage facilities he had experienced.
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| Mark Slupek, Deputy Administrator of the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, during his visit to Vinamilk. |
Raising standards across the global dairy value chain
The selection of Vinamilk’s Mega Plant for the largest FAS trade mission to Việt Nam comes as agricultural cooperation between Việt Nam and the US continues to expand.
According to the USDA, Việt Nam is the seventh-largest export market for US agricultural products, with export value increasing by 38 per cent between 2024 and 2025.
For Vinamilk, cooperation with the US has developed over many years and spans several stages of the dairy value chain.
In livestock production, the US is an important supplier of breeding cattle to Vinamilk. The company has sourced purebred Holstein Friesian (HF) and A2 cattle to develop its domestic HF and A2 herds. It also imports various raw materials from the US for its manufacturing operations.
Meanwhile, Vinamilk has established a direct presence in the US through Driftwood Dairy, a more than 100-year-old dairy company wholly owned by the Vietnamese group.
With annual revenue of more than US$120 million, Driftwood is now one of the major suppliers of school milk to schools across Southern California. Vinamilk also exports key products, including condensed milk and yoghurt, to the US market.
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| Through its subsidiary Driftwood Dairy, Vinamilk has established a direct presence in the US, one of the world’s largest dairy markets. |
Beyond its production capacity, another aspect that attracted interest from US businesses and agricultural associations was Vinamilk’s approach to quality investment, starting with research and the selection of raw materials.
One example shared at the meeting was the company’s use of soybeans carrying the US Identity Preserved (IP) label. The system applies stringent management and traceability requirements, allowing raw materials to be tracked throughout the supply chain, from cultivation and harvesting to transportation and processing, while maintaining consistent quality and product characteristics.
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| Nguyễn Quốc Khánh (left), Vinamilk’s Executive Director of Research and Development, discusses product development and the company’s strategy for improving raw material quality with members of the US delegation. |
“In research and development, Vinamilk does not just prepare for the needs of the current year or the next, but also looks ahead to nutritional trends over the next five to 10 years,” said Nguyễn Quốc Khánh, Vinamilk’s Executive Director of Research and Development.
To achieve this, the company continuously monitors emerging consumer trends, technologies and new ingredients through its international partner network, specialised exhibitions and scientific research databases.
This approach reflects Vinamilk’s commitment to continuously raising its standards, not only in manufacturing technology but also in the quality of the raw materials that form the foundation of its products.
At the end of the visit, US delegation representatives thanked Vinamilk for its partnership with the US agricultural sector and expressed their appreciation for the close cooperation between the two sides.
The recognition from US businesses and organisations not only highlights Vinamilk’s position in the dairy industry but also demonstrates the capabilities of Vietnamese manufacturers in developing internationally competitive production facilities and building partnerships with one of the world’s leading agricultural economies. — VNS
