Pakistan Has Negligible Share In Global Halal Food Market

News From : DagangHalal.com (24 Feb 2016)

KARACHI - Abdul Rauf Alam, President FPCCI and ECO CCI, has said that the global Muslim population constitutes 24% of the total world population but in fact more than 80% of the world halal trade is dominated by non-Muslim states.

He informed that the world's leading suppliers for Halal products including high quality meat, poultry, dairy products and other foods are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, New Zealand and USA.

He further informed that America and Australia are the biggest Halal beef exporters while Brazil and France are the biggest Halal chicken exporters in the Middle East. He revealed that Pakistan's share in the total global halal food market is negligible which is around only $28 million, just 0. 5% of the total global halal food trade.

Rauf Alam expressed his serious concern over the negligible share of Pakistan in global halal food market and said that Pakistan is the leading Muslim country and always plays a leading role in Muslim world but it is the astonishing fact that its share in global halal food market is less than India. He indicated that according to US Department of Agriculture (USDA), India has been the largest exporter of beef in the world though several states in India expand their bans on the slaughter of cows and bullocks.

The President FPCCI said that 1/3 of world Muslim population live in non-Muslim countries which is a sizable population. He shared that Muslims spend their income on legitimate halal but non-certified halal food because of non-availability of halal food in their respective countries. He said that according to an estimation, one certified halal product in the shelf of stores in US as compared to 86 other products which are not certified halal.

Rauf Alam emphasized that halal industry is globally fast emerging business, attracting 2 billion people both Muslims and non Muslims due to safer, hygienic and nutritious having high quality and reliability. He further said that Pakistan has immense potential to get big share in global halal market because Pakistan is an agriculture state with more than 169 million heads of quality livestock with 74 million cattle and buffaloes and 95 million sheep and goats. He further explained that Pakistan is producing 650,402 tons Chicken meat, 73,000 tons buffalo meat, 70,600 tons cattle meat, 270,000 tons goat meat and 154,000 tons sheep meat every year.

Rauf Alam further said that Pakistan has a great opportunity to get a big share in the global halal market and said that we are completely halal production base country and we have direct access consumers in Central Asia, Middle East and Europe. He informed that FPCCI will participate as a co-organizer in the Halal Food Conference scheduled to be held in April, 2016 at Jeddah wherein the facts about Halal food economy will be re-leashed and the issues will also be discussed in D8 and ECO Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Rauf Alam who is also the President of ECO CCI and Chairman of D-8 CCI mentioned that the formation of Standing Committee for promotion and certification of Halal Food is on the agenda of next meeting of Executive Committee of ECO-CCI and the Committee will devise a strategy to enhance the trade volume of halal products in D8 and ECO countries. He suggested that Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and D – 8 blocs should establish joint mechanism for halal certification and standardization to enhance intra and inter regional halal food trade.

The President FPCCI drew the attention of the government towards the potential of Pakistan to become a market leader in global halal meat industry. He further said that Pakistan ranks 18th in the production index of halal meat with a capacity of 2. 2 million tons can be competitive in the global market by strict monitoring of traceability of diseases in live stock, proper compliance of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), implementation of ISO Certification system, getting meat based halal certification, up gradation of infrastructure and provision of storage facilities.

Source: nation.com.pk