The second factory, worth US$20 million, is expected to produce some 550 tonnes of processed chicken each month once operational in 2019. It will enable the company to export about 1,000 tonnes of products to Japan, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency.

Viet Nam News reports that the company’s first factory in the province’s Long Binh Industrial Zone has a monthly capacity of 350 tonnes, but it is yet to declare the location of its second plant, where construction will begin in 2018.

Koyu & Unitek, a joint venture between Australia and Japan, started exporting chicken products to Japan in September, after receiving approval from Japanese authorities in June. The firm has currently shipped four containers of products to Japan.

James Hieu, general director of Koyu & Unitek, said that Vietnamese chicken products are favoured by many Japanese consumers.

"Our goal is to bring Vietnamese chicken products into supermarkets in Japan. However, due to insufficient quantities, these products are only being distributed to restaurants and hotels over there," he told the news agency.

Apart from Japan, the company is exploring new export opportunities in other Southeast Asian countries, Mr Hieu added.

Koyu & Unitek is a member of a supply chain that operates in the animal breeding and feed industry. Other three members of the chain are Bel Ga JSC, a joint venture of the Belgian Belgabroed Group and the Netherlands-based De Heus, as well as the Hung Nhon Group and De Heus.