Cargill builds 70th school in Vietnam

Cargill Vietnam today celebrates a major milestone. The company unveiled the 70th education facility built in Vietnam under the umbrella of “Cargill Cares,” an ongoing employee-led initiative which began in 1995. Cargill sponsored the building of the Public Veterinary Clinic at the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture & Forestry, which will serve as a community veterinary clinic to help train budding veterinary students.

The clinic, constructed at a cost of around US$50,000 (VND 1.07 billion), will allow veterinary students to obtain hands-on experience while serving the urgent needs of animal farmers in nearby communities. It comprises examination and medical storage rooms, and is outfitted with diagnostic and testing facilities. Cargill, a leader in animal nutrition, will also share with students the latest science-based techniques in animal husbandry and welfare.

Cargill’s school-building program aims to provide access to education for students from low-income families in rural Vietnamese communities. In addition to support from the corporation, funds are raised from Cargill’s employees, suppliers and customers. So far, around VND 82 billion (US$3.8 million) has been raised for schools and education facilities that have been built in 44 provinces across Vietnam to educate some 13,000 students yearly.

Chanh Truong, country representative for Cargill Vietnam, said, “We are incredibly proud to have reached our 70th school milestone after 19 years of hard work. All this was made possible through our shared goal of helping rural students have a better life. Together with our employees, customers and suppliers, we are committed to supporting our country’s future leaders and ensuring that Vietnam thrives.”

Tran Nhat Thang, lecturer at the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture & Forestry, said, “Cargill’s clinic is such a valuable asset to us. Previously, we had to work and teach under challenging conditions – deteriorating infrastructure, obsolete equipment, and students suffered from lack of practical, hands-on experience. With the new clinic, these issues have all been resolved, and we now have the ability to train students with different animal species to broaden their expertise.”

There is still more work to be done. Cargill has pledged to build 75 schools and education facilities in Vietnam to educate some 15,000 students by 2015 – a significant year that marks Cargill’s 20th year in Vietnam and Cargill’s 150th anniversary globally.

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Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and nearly 150 years of experience. We have 145,000 employees in 67 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

In February 1995, Cargill established our presence in Vietnam with the opening of our first representative offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and Cargill Vietnam Limited was formed. In December 2009, we were the first U.S. company to obtain a distribution license in Vietnam, allowing us to distribute products directly in the country. Today, we employ more than 1,100 employees across 15 locations. Our operations include animal nutrition, cocoa production, food and beverage ingredients, grain and oilseed trading and marketing, and metals trading. For more information, visit www.cargill.com.vn.