Ms Yingluck tastes dried fruit after attending the opening of Thaifex — World of Food Asia 2012 at Impact Muang Thong Thani yesterday. The fair runs until Sunday. THITI WANNAMONTHA

She said yesterday that the demand for food products in international markets has continuously increased since the beginning of this year and this consumption will help to push up growth in almost all categories.

This year’s revenue from food exports excluding major commodities such as rice and sugar is estimated at US$28 billion, up by 12% from last year.

“This is a very promising sign for both the production and export sectors. Now is the time for them to make the most of this business opportunity,” she said at the opening of Thaifex _ World of Food Asia 2012.

Organisers expect the five-day event ending on Sunday will fetch US$420 million.

Ms Yingluck said the Thai government has a standing policy of positioning Thailand as the Kitchen of the World.

Thai agricultural and food products are highlighted, while foreign investment in the local farm sector is promoted vigorously.

“This initiative creates added value for not only our agricultural sector, but also the industrial and service sectors,” she said.

Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom said the euro-zone crisis is a major concern.

His ministry will discuss the issue with Kittiratt Na-Ranong, a deputy prime minister and finance minister, in order to minimise the impact against Thailand, he said.

Mr Boonsong said the EU’s economic woes will likely affect Thai shipments and prompting the Commerce Ministry to adjust export strategies.

A greater focus on Asean markets is possible in order to ensure this year’s growth target of 15%.

Phongsak Assakul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said he supports the govenment’s policy of standardising the quality of Thai food sold abroad.

Promoting food ingredient exports is an effective way of beefing up taste, he said.

Mr Phongsak said he also encourages the government and food processors to concentrate more on making halal food in order to tap into Asean’s Muslim consumers, which number more than 250 million.

In fact, the overall Asean population of 601 million is a good alternative to ailing Europe as well, he added.

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A system that can verify imported halal products, has been set up by DagangAsia Net who has invested RM3.5 million to set up a Halal Verified Engine (HVE) at the DagangHalal.com portal. The company is collaborating with the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to gather data and will have a system trial run by June.

HVE will operate like a search engine, in that consumers or traders can search online for information on more than 3000 products that are registered with Jakim. “Consumers are now more aware and generally more concerned about the halal products that are available in the market,” said DagangAsia executive chairman Muhadzir Mohd Isa after the signing ceremony with Jakim at the World Halal Forum 2012.

The HVE system will also include a product rating application, in which users can share information on halal products and services. Cape Town based Cape Malay Consultants have been bringing South African halal-certified products on board to introduce them to the global halal market via DagangHalal’s online portal. According to the company, it would continue to work toward increasing exports of South African products. Voice of the Cape

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The 7th World Halal Forum (WHF) started on 2 April with Deputy Prime Minister, YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Hj Mohd Yassin officially launching the annual forum at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The two-day forum attracted the participation of 720 delegates and over 35 speakers. With participants and speakers from over 36 countries, WHF 2012 provides a stirring platform for a stimulating discussion on the USD800 billion worth Halal industry.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Hj Mohd Yassin, in his keynote address, praised the World Halal Forum for its efforts in emphasizing on a universal appeal on Halal principles and for leveraging on creative channels like the arts, media and entertainment in spreading good values.

“The success of a system is not just about numbers but also about whether it could improve the quality of life and about good values,” said Tan Sri Muhyiddin in his keynote address, officially marking the opening of WHF.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin also stated that the new generation of Muslim youths are asking for more value out of Halal and not just mere compliance to its standards.

Established in 2006, WHF has since become part of the Malaysian government’s 15-year plan to become the world’s Halal hub. With this year’s theme “INSPIRE, INNOVATE, INVEST”, WHF 2012 goes beyond its usual exploration of business perspectives and reached out towards the grassroots with its primary focus on consumer issues, as well as helping the industry’s understanding on its beneficial values, to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

The annual gathering of industry captains showcases contemporary speakers such as Advertising, Branding and Marketing expert from the United Kingdom, Jonathan Bilal Wilson; author of UK bestseller “Unimagined”, Imran Ahmad and Graphic Designer and Artist, Peter Gould from Australia. They shared their views on challenges related to consumer issues as well as promoting key messages of universal values via various communication channels.

“For 2012, we want to leverage on all our past achievements and cultivate a universal Halal lifestyle that transcends religion, race, culture and location,” said Hajjah Jumaatun Azmi, the Founder-Director of the forum. “We also believe in the power of the music and arts to spread universal ideas and channel positive, wholesome values.”

She stated that the Halal industry is steadily evolving towards a more holistic values-based direction making the concept of Halal applicable to everyone.

WHF, which became a non-profit entity in 2011 and hosted by the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI Alliance), also emphasized that all parties including small and medium-sized entrepreneurs (SMEs) should seize lucrative potentials and use the forum as a platform to explore new strategies in the booming Halal market globally.

“What is certain now is that, the Muslim world’s population is currently increasing. The Muslim population as at year 2010 is estimated at 1.6 billion. Naturally, the expansion of the Halal market is inevitable,” said Darhim Hashim, CEO of IHI Alliance.

Acknowledging the many challenges in ensuring global Halal integrity, he stated that the solution was the formulation of a set of International Halal Standards which will serve as a benchmark to the Halal industry.

“The Alignment of Halal Certification practice should be in place to ensure Halal integrity globally,” he added.

WHF 2012 also showcased at its display area a new retail arm, Rumi and Kohl and its vast collection of jewellery and ethnic furnishings; “Rezeki”, a new publication which aims to convey universal ideas and concepts to young, urban entrepreneurs and “99″, the critically acclaimed comic book series by Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, which features the world’s first superheroes based on Islamic culture, values and society.

WHF 2012, with the Platinum sponsor being the Malaysian chapter of Turkish ice cream brand “Mado”, concluded on a high note with the resolution to pave the way towards a future where good values and noble principles are shared universally, achieving a complete, holistic and Halal lifestyle for all. Other sponsors include Nestle Malaysia, Chemical Company of Malaysia Berhad (CCM), Fonterra Malaysia, Bank Rakyat, Prince Court Medical Centre, Tanjung Manis Halal Hub, Penang International Halal Hub and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

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There are currently 54 halal-certified export-oriented companies in Chile, most of which are in food-related businesses.

They obtained their certification from the Islamic Centre of Chile, which is acknowledged by the Malaysian halal certification body, Jakim.

Diego Osses, an official from Chile’s Halal Development Department, said Chilean companies are keen to export to Malaysia as it is a hub to the rest of the Muslim countries in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia also has a halal standard that is globally known, and is a way for them to reach out to the world’s estimated 1.8 billion halal consumers.

Several of them, including mussel producers St Andrews SA and Toralla SA, became exhibitors at the Malaysian International Halal Showcase (Mihas) this week as they are keen on finding local distributors for their products.

Chile is the world’s second largest exporter of mussels.

“To be able to sell here in Asia, and Malaysia, you have to adapt and become halal-certified,” Toralla’s export manager Pedro Garcia Garcia told Business Times on the sidelines of the event.

Toralla, which generated a revenue of US$9 million (RM27.54 million) last year, exports 95 per cent of its products, mainly to Europe and the US.

It obtained its halal certification in 2007 as it wanted to tap into Asia. It hasn’t started selling in Malaysia as yet.

Its rival St Andrews, the second largest mussel exporter in Chile, aims to double its exports to Asia this year from about 600 tonnes last year.

In Malaysia alone, it hopes to sell some 200 tonnes of mussels compared with about 40 tonnes last year.

Its biggest markets in the region, however, are Singapore, Thailand, Japan and South Korea.

“I think this will be the year to increase our presence in Malaysia. Mihas will be the start of new sales for us,” its market manager Fernando Prieto said.

St Andrew’s, which produced 9,000 tonnes of finished products last year, of which 95 per cent was exported, sells under the brand name “Chiloe Seafoods” and was halal-certified last year.

Valle Grande SA, Chile’s largest exporter of bott-led extra-virgin olive oil with a revenue of US$7 million (RM21.42 million) last year, started exporting to Asia some four years ago, selling 50,000 litres last year, with Taiwan as its biggest market.

The company, whose brands include Olave and Huasco, is now keen to start exporting to Malaysia and Singapore and as such, obtained its halal certification last year.

“We’re the first olive oil company from Chile to try to penetrate the market here … we’re in discussions with potential distributors,” export manager Fernando Almuna said in a separate interview.

While it is tough competing in a market where extra-virgin olive oils from Italy and Spain are more popular, Chilean oils that are exported tend to stand out for their high quality, as evidenced by their low acidity levels, he claimed.

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The show was launched at 8th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2012 on April 4 in Kuala Lumpur by Mr Saeed Obaid Al Jarwan, Second Vice-Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), and Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General of Expo Centre Sharjah.

The Sharjah team was also expected to meet the Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, to discuss trade ties as well as share expertise for the show.

The Middle East Halal market holds high potential for Malaysian food exporters. Nearly one-third of the 1.6 billion global Muslim population lives in the Middle East and North Africa, prompting the global Halal food industry to look at the region earnestly to capture a major slice of the market share.

Besides, the Halal Food Middle East can play the role of a key facilitator of trade between Malaysia and the Gulf region, since the Malaysian International Trade and Industry has already identified GCC states as an important target to boost the country’s Halal product exports.

“Expo Centre Sharjah has wisely chosen the MIHAS to launch Halal Food Middle East to garner international attention for the show, what with MIHAS having more than 500 exhibitors from over 25 countries and 600 exhibition booths,” said Mr Jarwan, at a press conference to launch the show.

“We have a market that is yet to be fully tapped. The Muslim population in our part of the world is younger and growing faster, at a rate of 1.8% per year, and GDPs of most Muslim countries are expanding rapidly than in the West. For example, Qatar, which has a per capita income of more than $88,000, was recently ranked as the richest country in the world by Forbes magazine. The UAE came sixth with a per capita income of $47,500,” Mr Jarwan said.

Besides, generating increased demand for food is the rise in tourist arrivals in the region, with the UAE figures alone expected to touch 9 million, a 9% increase over last year.

Though the GCC countries are amongst the world’s richest in terms of oil and gas reserves and per capita wealth, when it comes to food sufficiency, the region needs to import almost 80 per cent of its requirements. According to latest statistics, the annual food import for GCC is set to grow from $25.8bn in 2010 to $53bn in 2020.

“These statistics and market indicators provide enough insights into the huge potential of our region. There are plenty of opportunities up for grabs and Halal Food Middle East will help Malaysian and global exporters find a firm foothold in the region,” said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

The Halal Food Middle East will also be a boon for exporters in Malaysia, which recently invested more than $200m in five Halal parks across the country on the back of a more than 50% rise in exports to $12bn last year, to explore new markets and dealers for their products.

“Malaysia has built a commanding leadership as a Halal hub of choice for manufacturers, traders and consumers. At Halal Food ME, apart from gaining better exposure to their products, Malaysian exporters and establishments will also get a vantage point to champion the Halal cause in the region,” added Mr Midfa.

To effectively promote the show, Expo Centre Sharjah has tied up with the Morocco-based Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT), which is the trade and investment promotion wing of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The show is positioned as the largest and the most comprehensive show of its kind in the region, featuring Shariah-compliant food and beverages, bakery and confectionaries, broth products, food ingredients, frozen food, health products, herbs and spices, legumes & cereals, nuts and seeds, pastas and noodle, processed & seafood, snacks, and fruits & vegetables.

It aims to attract exporters & importers, traders & wholesalers, supermarkets, hypermarkets, departmental stores, convenience stores, food manufacturers, food processors, hotels, restaurants, cafes, catering companies, distributors, retailers, suppliers, food service outlets, investors, hospitals, ship chandlers , airlines, agricultural associates, agents, media, business & trade associations, government bodies, food associations, Halal certifications bodies and trade promotion offices.

The Halal Food ME will be organized by Expo Centre Sharjah in association with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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Over 300 foreign buyers from 52 countries participated in the business meetings with local companies, he said. The buying mission was organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).

Speaking at the launching of the Malaysia Halal Week here Wednesday, Mustapa said he was impressed with the large turnout and the quality of participants, adding that more than 62% of Mihas participants were from non-OIC countries.

“Mihas is increasingly being used as a launching platform for halal non-food products including halal certified fragrances, tableware and paint brush,” he said, adding that halal was seen not just as a religious obligation but a lifestyle choice.

The Halal Week, which started on Monday and ends on Saturday, consists of the World Halal Forum (WHF), the World Halal Research Summit and Mihas.

Mustapa also lauded the Summit and the Forum initiatives which he said were aligned to the Government’s policy to promote innovation and strengthen Malaysia’s position as a global halal hub.

“I welcome this focus on the need to inspire halal innovation and research, particularly on exploring the possibilities of developing new and alternative products for the halal industry,” he said, adding that WHF has played an integral part in strategically positioning Malaysia at the focal point of the halal industry.

The halal sector, Mustapa said, was a new source of economic growth with RM35bil worth of halal goods and services exported last year. The figure excludes crude palm oil.

“There are now 4,758 halal-certified companies in the country. Some 700 are actively exporting Malaysian-made goods and services.”

Halal, he said, would be included into entry point projects for agriculture, palm oil, tourism, healthcare and wholesale and retail sectors. Mustapa said plans were also underway to develop prototypes for halal vaccines, gelatin-free capsule and palm oil-based emulsifies for pharmaceutical products.

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The event would serve as a platform for the participants to enter the high-potential Middle East market, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry Second Vice Chairman Saeed Obaid Al Jarwan said today.

“The inaugural Halal Food Middle East can play the role of a key facilitator of trade between Malaysia and the Gulf region since the Malaysian government has identified Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states as an important target to boost the country’s halal product exports,” he said at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre where the World Halal Research Summit is being held.

The Halal Food Middle East trade show is expected to attract more than 100 exhibitors globally.

Saeed Abiad said: “Out of the 80 percent food products imported, Malaysia was among the major countries where the Gulf countries made their trade besides the United States of America, China, India, Australia and Thailand.”

According to the latest statistics, the annual food import for the GCC is set to grow from US$25.8 billion in 2010 to US$53 billion in 2020.

Sharjah Expo Centre Director-General Saif Mohammed Al Midfa said the statistics and market indicators provided enough insights into the Gulf region’s huge potential.

Apart from gaining better exposure for their products, Malaysian exporters and establishments would also get a vantage point to champion the halal cause in the region, he said.

“There are plenty of opportunities up for grabs and Halal Food Middle East will help Malaysian exports find a firm foothold in the region,” he said.

He said Halal Food Middle East would also be a boon for exporters in Malaysia that recently invested more than US$200 million in five halal parks across the country on the back of a more than 50 percent rise in exports to US$12 billion last year, to explore new markets and dealers for their products.

“Malaysia has build a commanding leadership as halal hub of choice for manufacturers, traders and consumers,” he added. — Bernama

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Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Malaysia is also ready to further strengthen existing halal programmes with the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI Alliance) to support the ecosystem.

“The halal evolution, as such, will not end there, however. The consumer is ever-changing, whose tastes, preferences, values and priorities evolve over time.

“If we add to that, the impact of social media and online tools that empower the consumer, then we are indeed faced with a complex set of dynamics,” he said in his keynote address when opening the 7th World Halal Forum today.

In order to optimise the immense potential of the global halal industry and to further exploit halal products and services, there was a further need to acquire greater understanding of the various aspects of halal certification and ensuring uniformity in the application of halal standards globally, he said.

The IHI Alliance, the host of the World Halal Forum, has published halal standards that govern each sector of the halal supply chain, from upstream activities such as animal feed, animal welfare, handling and slaughter, to downstream sectors such as food processing, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

“IHI Alliance’s halal standards will ensure halal integrity is maintained throughout an unbroken supply chain, from farm to fork,” he said.

Muhyiddin said branding, marketing and advertising can be tailored towards spurring downstream business and opportunities.

“There must be continuous creativity and innovation in products and services development to further enhance the halal industry and brand,” he added.

– BERNAMA

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The launching of this Halal trade event was motivated by major official decisions made during the Halal labeling conference at the last “France-Maghreb Convention 2011” under the High Patronage of His Majesty The King Mohamed VI.

It was decided an official Halal Label is going to be established in Morocco allowing food industry professionals (both manufacturers and retailers) to provide millions of consumers the reassurance of genuine Halal certified products.

Pioneering countries like Turkey, Malaysia, France or Brunei… will be invited to give feedback on their Halal labeling experience at the conference being held during the exhibition, in order to highlight the necessity of setting up an official Halal label and Halal certification organization.

Moroccan authorities, as well as concerned institutions, will be attending to discuss and debate on the current government directives, and also to share their different experiences regarding Halal issues with all the foreign participants.

The Kingdom of Morocco is today an economic hub which sits at a crossroads between Europe, Africa and the Middle East. This event will produce major opportunities for local and foreign companies to meet as business partners in order to develop their export activity, particularly in the Halal food industry.

This strategic position is the reason why the Expo Halal International organization committee designated Morocco as the most appropriate place to launch an international exhibition such as this.

For more information please see: www.expo-halal-international.com

Press contact : Mohamed El ouahdoudi

MCC – 40, boulevard d’Anfa 20 000 CASABLANCA

Téléphone: +212 6 64 78 69 87 mccmrh@gmail.com

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