Japan’s Yakult Honsha said it would officially put into operation its first production facility in Myanmar on 1 August 2019 in a press conference on 31 July 2019. The USD 47 million manufacturing plant in Thilawa SEZ will be producing the Yakult fermented milk drink.
Yakult plans to cover 25% of the population in Myanmar with an initial focus on Yangon before expanding into Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Taunggyi and Mawlamyine. The goal is to cover the entire country in five years.
In Myanmar, Yakult competes with Malaysia Milk. Yakult competitor’s Vitagen Less Sugar prides itself as Singapore’s number one cultured milk brand in the marketing messages to establish trust among consumers. Yakult, on the other hand, stresses its Japan origin on the front of pack. Both Yakult and Vitagen will be battling each other in the local fermented milk market and this is just the beginning.
