Need a revised strategy to increase #HalalFoods - says FPCCI President

by APP

KARACHI: President FPCCI, Abdul Rauf Alam has urged the government to revise strategy to increasing halal foods exports as Pakistan has a big potential to become a market leader in global halal meat industry.

Pakistan's share in the total global halal food market was negligible which was around only dollars 28 million; just 0.5pc of the total global halal food trade. Whereas, Pakistan ranks 18th in the production index of halal meat with a capacity of 2.2 million tons, said the President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) stated in a statement here on Tuesday.

He said that the Muslims make 24 percent of the total world population.

But, he regretted, more than 80pc of the world halal trade is dominated by non-Muslim states.

FPCCI said that 1/3 of the world Muslim population lived in non-Muslim countries which was a sizable population.

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 United States of America.

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.

FPCCI Chief recommended that Pakistan could be competitive in the global market by strict monitoring of traceability of diseases in livestock, 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.

Pakistan had 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.

It 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.

Abdul Rauf Alam, who is also President of ECO- Chamber of Commerce of Commerce (ECO-CCI) said Pakistan being a leading Muslim country has negligible share in the global Halal Food market.

The 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 said.

He said 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 would 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 would be re-leashed. The issues would also be discussed in D-8 and ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Rauf Alam, also being President of ECO-CCI and the chairman of D-8 CCI, mentioned that the formation of standing committee for promotion and certification of halal food was on the agenda of next meeting of Executive Committee of ECO-CCI. The Committee would devise a strategy to enhance the trade volume of halal products in D-8 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.