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DairyOptimal Resistance – OmniGen Experiences
OmniGen supports the resistance of a cow in a natural way. A cow's immune system is regularly under fire by a host of organisms, including bacteria and viruses. In addition, stress has a negative effect on the operation of the immune system. Changes in the daily rhythm of a cow cause the cow to be under stress, which produces the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone suppresses the immune system.
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TraineeshipTim van der Vegt – Trainee Finance and Strategy/M&A
Having spent most of his childhood in Indiana (US) growing up on a large dairy farm, it may not come as a surprise to those close to Tim that he chose the traineeship at De Heus. When he and his family moved back to the Netherlands in 2014, Tim finished high school in Assen and decided to study Econometrics with a specialization in Quantitative Finance at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. Among the many traineeships available for prospective starters, the traineeship at De Heus especially excited him.
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Our peopleArturo Peña Cuervo - Veterinary Surgeon and Area Manager
Arturo was born in Badajoz in 1987 and trained as a Veterinary Surgeon at the University of Extremadura. After 7 years doing clinical work with farm animals across Extremadura, he joined De Heus in 2017, becoming part of the team as Area Manager. He currently lives in Mérida, close to De Heus’ factory in La Garrovilla.
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SustainabilityObserving business principles
To emphasise our social responsibility, we have formulated a number of clear Business Principles. All our businesses and their employees are held to act and behave according to these principles. They are based upon an ethical attitude. They also keep in mind local rules and regulations, animal welfare, the environment, and the interests of customers, employees, consumers, suppliers, and governmental authorities. We absolutely forbid bribery, intimidation and child labour. We support the fundamental human rights. And we assure health and safety at work. To guarantee our independent position, we never contribute to any political parties or regimes.
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SustainabilitySharing knowledge and insights
To ensure that our specialists around the world would be able to keep themselves up-to-date regarding the latest developments, we founded the Feed Academy in 2015. It is a unique initiative that allows us to combine online learning with practical training courses on livestock farms. All knowledge and new insights thus acquired by our own professionals, they will happily share with livestock farmers in the region where they operate. In addition, we help them improve their professional skills in other ways as well. For example, we organise seminars and training courses for our customers, concerning the application of animal feed, livestock farming, and stable management.
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SustainabilityFighting the waste of food
We are doing our utmost to ensure maximum efficiency in the conversion of vegetable raw materials into animal proteins. We also strive to achieve maximum output at minimum input. In addition, we come into action to prevent wastage. Whenever we can, any residual and side streams from food production processes are utilised as ingredients for animal feeds. Naturally, we are actively sharing our knowledge and experience in this field with our foreign sister companies.
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Our peopleLuka Lam - Farm Design Specialist
Luka joined De Heus in May 2015, spending the first 6 months in the Central Sales team before moving to his current position as Farm Design Specialist in the Agra-Matic team. It has been 5 years of "rolling" - sticking with this job since Luka got his current line manager, Mr Edison, Farm Design Consultant.
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SustainabilityMaking optimum use of side streams
Side streams from the food industry can often be fed straight to livestock. Particularly pig farmers are able to benefit from these. Especially where high-energy foods are concerned. These include potato peals from chip production or wheat starch resulting from the production of soft drinks. Other sources include protein-rich yeast from the beer industry and the whey that is drained off after cheese production. These represent excellent feed ingredients with high-quality nutrients. Our pig farming department in the Netherlands is manned by a team of specialists who are happy to support pig farmers regarding the optimum utilisation of side streams.
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SustainabilityHow a De Heus plant can support fish farming in Uganda and help feed the nation
In June 2023, De Heus began construction of its first dedicated aquafeed plant in Uganda. Located in Njeru, near Jinja, on the north shore of Lake Victoria, the factory is expected to start operations early next year. Once the facility reaches full capacity, it will produce some 50,000 tons of fish feed per year, helping to support a rapidly developing aquaculture industry. In addition, it will help to improve the diet and food security of the country's growing population and boost local agriculture.
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Our peopleTravis Chu Huynh Nhut Thien - Swine Genetics & Farms Manager
Travis joined De Heus at the end of 2021 when the company acquired Masan MeatLife’s (MML) animal feed business. At that time, he was serving as Purchasing Manager at MML, responsible for sourcing raw materials across the Feed, Farm, and Food divisions. By mid-2023, he took on a new and pivotal role as Swine Genetics & Farms Manager, overseeing one of De Heus’s critical livestock production areas. Since then, Travis has found great fulfillment in this function — a role where his strategic thinking, practical mindset, and people leadership come together.