Homegrown brands like CavinKare, Daawat, Bikano, Goldwinner oil, Vadilal ice cream,Amrutanjan Health Care and Gujarat Ambuja Exports are embracing halal-certification to get a better foothold in markets like Singapore, Malaysia and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries.

CavinKare has got a halal certification from Halal India, an apex body for halal certification , for three of its products – Fairever, Nyle herbal shampoo and Ruchi pickle – to expand its footprint in Singapore, Malaysia and GCC. “The certification is a reason-to-belief for customers on quality parameters. The certification will also give an edge over our competitors,” said R S Vijay Kumar, GM of international business at Cavin-Kare , a Chennai-based personal care company.

Nyle shampoo, for instance, cornered a 26.7% share in the Singapore halal-compliant market and 22% in Malaysia for the same segment last fiscal, he added. The Rs 1,100-crore company expects its international business to touch the Rs 100-crore mark in the current fiscal from Rs 70 crore earlier.

Bikano, the sweet and the namkeen brand from Bikanervala Foods, has seen a 30% jump in soan papdi and cookies sales in Malaysian market in the last one year, partly due to the halalcertification that gave a higher visibility on retail shelves there. “Halal signifies highest standards of quality and hygiene in ingredients, processes and products,” said Sachin Anand, head (international business), Bikanervala Foods.

Amrutanjan has obtained a halal certificate for all its pain balm products exported to Singapore , Malaysia, West Indies and a few African markets. “Islam in many ways is a way of life. To that extent, Islamic branding is all about using brands as good deeds. What starts with halal foods, can move on to halal practice in every industry, be it the pharmaceutical or the cosmetic industry . Islamic branding can embrace broader pastures that cover business practices too,” said Harish Bijoor, CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults.

“With many brands embracing halal, Indian brands may look at an export market opportunity of about $200 billion in the next ten years,” said Mohamed Jinna, CEO of Halal India. The halal stamp can be extended to those brands tuned into the principles of Shariah in faith, good practice and spirit . Globally, the halal market is worth a staggering $2.1 trillion a year, says a report by brand consultancy firm Ogilvy Noor.

The market opportunity for halal products is still untapped in India, but brand consultants are not dismissing its potential in a country with 160 million Muslims. Paul Temporal, founder and MD of Temporal Brand Consulting, feels that there is a lot more room for brand managers to adapt these values for different markets and cultures, whether Islamic or not.

“If you look at Islamic values , most of them are emotional and this makes for good branding and marketing. A more careful look reveals that a lot of these values do not just suit Islamic audiences, but are of a universally appealing nature . The issue or challenge is to find where these people are and to reach them with suitable products,” he added.

Related posts:

1. India: Intertek responds to Indian Halal demand India has more than 175 million Muslim people but still...
2. Opinion: Brands That Survive Will Be The Brands That Make Life Better A new study of consumer engagement finds that companies that...
3. Opinion: Building halal brands The race is on to establish powerful international ‘halal brands’....
4. Pakistan: Pak food brands set to make UAE foray Leading Pakistan brands in frozen meat, edible oil and herbal...
5. Kipp’s healthcheck on Arab brands’ global ambition Though there is no mention of Halal product brands in...

Dr. K. Ravindranath, Chairman & MD, Global Hospitals Group, said “With about two billion Muslims worldwide and a major number of international health travellers coming to Global Healthcity from the Islamic nations, we see Halal certification as a form of approval that boosts our patients’ trust and confidence in our range of hospital services. To earn the certification, Global Health City had to meet strict Islamic guidelines dealing with hygiene & dietary regulations of global standards.”

“This Halal certification will further help in boosting medical value travel in our country and showcasing our world class infrastructure.” He further added.

Mr. Mohamed Jinna, CEO, Halal India stated “We have great heritage for service and hospitality in India which also signifies that we can take good care of patients. The state of art technologies available in medical care is just perfect for overseas patients.  All we need to do is understand their culture and custom so that we accommodate them well and make them feel truly at home”  This way we can respect their values and belief and at the same time cater to this niche market in India.”

Global Health City is one of the few hospitals in the world to have Halal certification. Halal, an Arabic word meaning “lawful or permitted”, is the certification given by the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia. The concept of Halal, is not just being applied to food, but it includes services and infrastructure as per rules in Quran. Global Health City provides special desk for such patients which includes patient managers and co-ordinators who are caring and  knowledgeable about the language, culture and expectations of the patient from the Islamic world. The hospital provides prayer room with Friday prayers, customized cuisine & Arabic TV channels in the rooms.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Chandra Sekhar, Executive Director, Global Hospital Group said “As with the concept of Halal Friendly Medical Tourism it’s a proven set of services which helps hospital attract more and more patients from SAARC & S.E Asia region as well as from various other countries. The biggest example of countries which has already implemented this concept is Thailand, Singapore, Australia, South Africa, UK and Malaysia.”

GLOBAL HEALTH CITY

Global Health City, Chennai is a 500 bedded super specialty tertiary care facility, with a capacity to expand to 1000 beds. It renders 360 degree advanced tertiary healthcare services with multi-super speciality and multi-organ transplant services. With the finest combination of expertise, experience, state-of-the art technology and well coordinated team work, every step is aimed at ensuring excellence in patient care.

The Global Hospitals Group started with its first Hospital a decade ago in Hyderabad. Today, it has nine hospitals with over 2000 beds, strategically spread across the country with branches now in Bangalore and Chennai and many more in advanced stages of planning and implementation, one such being the Mumbai facility which is proposed to be operational by the end of the current financial year. Each unit is a world class tertiary care multi super specialty Hospital with facilities matching the best in the world and offering advanced patient care of international standards.

Halal India

Halal India (HI) is as an Independent Certification body which is recognized by the Government of India. Halal India is one of the established Halal Certification body in India. Halal India Certification is becoming more relevant in today’s market mainly because people are more aware of the Halal concept it is not just about religious related matters but it extends to the products or services being deemed safe for consumption as well as have health benefits.

Halal India is recognized by IHIA (International Halal Integrity Alliance, Malaysia) who is a partner of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). It has been recognized by the 57 OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference) Countries, in principle member with the World Halal Council and Intertek Testing Services, a testing company, are its global partners.

Hospitals eye ‘halal’ certification to attract patients from Middle East

Pushpa Narayan, Times of India

CHENNAI: There are two things that worry almost every patient from Islamic countries who come to Indian hospitals: the meat they eat and the direction of Mecca. With more than 75% of the medical tourists being from the Middle East, hospitals are eyeing ‘halal’ certification to make them feel at home.

On Monday, Chennai-based Global Health Citysaid it has became the first in the country to receive the ‘halal’ certification from the Halal Development Authority. The certification would mean they get ‘halal’ meat in food and have ‘quiblah’ (the direction of Mecca) signs in every room and prayer hall. Muslims offer prayers facing ‘quiblah.’

At least five leading hospital groups in the country including Apollo Hospitals and Fortis are in talks with the authority, said Halal India general manager Mohamed Noman Lateef. In Chennai, Mehta Hospitals and Lifeline Hospitals have also sent applications for the certification.

Halal India, is an independent Halal Certification body which is recognised by the Indian government and deals with certification of food, cosmetics and drugs as per the Shariah law. Halal is anything that is legal or lawful for Muslims. In terms of meat, halal applies to the kind of meat (pork is banned), their health condition and the way they are killed. The butcher must make a recitation to God and cut the jugular vein, carotid artery and the windpipe with a sharp knife. The animal can’t be stunned before it is killed.

To ensure the meat used in the Global hospital’s kitchen is ‘halal,’ officials from Halal India visited the slaughter house from where the meat is purchased. “It’s not just about food or prayer hall, it’s about lifestyle. For any Muslim it is important that any business performed in their daily lives is clean, hygienic and not detrimental to either their health or wellbeing as specified in the religious text. In that sense, it is a new benchmark for quality,” said Halal India business development manager Sheetal Bajaj.

Hospital chairman Dr K Ravindranath said Halal certification was a form of approval that boosts patients’ confidence. “To earn the certification, Global Health City had to meet strict Islamic guidelines dealing with hygiene and dietary regulations of global standards.” The hospital’s international business vice-president M Zakariah Ahmed said after Joint Commission International (JCI) this would be one of the biggest certification process hospitals in the country are aiming for.

Every room will also have a sticker that gives the exact direction of Mecca. “I tell every patient the food is halal. But I feel they would be happy to see the certification,” said Global Hospital’s international patients executive Vireesh Singh. “We tell them that we make public announcements for prayer and ensure that we give women a separate place during prayer,” he said.

Transplant surgeon Dr Madhu Shankar agrees. “People from the Middle East have a different culture. We don’t enter the female patient’s room without their permission. A female nurse will walk in first and seek permission for a male doctor’s entry,” he said.

Related posts:

1. India: Intertek forays into Halal Certification in India Intertek, global leader in quality and safety solutions serving a...
2. Singapore: Crescentrating.com and Halal India announces partnership Singapore based Crescentrating.com, which provides “Halal Friendly” rating for travel...
3. Halal India signs MoU with Halal Nepal Mr Jinna, CEO, Halal India, stated that this MoU will...
4. India: Intertek responds to Indian Halal demand India has more than 175 million Muslim people but still...
5. Restaurant chef Matt Prentice embarks on a quest to reinvent hospital food There is an expression 'you are what you eat' but...

The Mumbai-based media house, Maxim Media, will launch an English monthly lifestyle magazine, titled Muallim, in May. Muallim, which means tutor, is being promoted as the first English language monthly lifestyle magazine for Muslims.

Muallim is Maxim Media's maiden venture. The group also plans to launch a daily newspaper, along with a 24-hour news channel for Indian Muslims.

The magazine is being introduced to help its readers clear misconceptions about the religion. As of now, it will be available in Mumbai and its suburbs in Muslim majority areas. The group will launch the magazine with an initial print run of only 3,000 copies; it has a cover price of Rs 50.

The target readers of Muallim include businessmen, corporate professionals, housewives and college students, those in the age group of 15-50 years, of the Muslim community and well versed in the English language. The content mix of the magazine will have a mix of spirituality and contemporary affairs, as well as profiles of Muslim achievers in business or corporate careers.

Talking about the reason behind the launch, Z F Nomani, director, marketing, Maxim Media, says, "There are several magazines in Urdu, but not a single English magazine which imparts Islamic knowledge and focuses on contemporary positive affairs. Hence, we have taken this initiative to launch India's first Muslim lifestyle magazine in English. Another reason is that there are many literatures available in Urdu language, but not many in English. Muslims who are comfortable in English will find 'Muallim' convenient to grasp the message of Islam and recent positive developments of the community."

Interestingly, the magazine has a very specific advertiser profile. It will carry advertisements of only those companies which have Shariah compliant businesses. The magazine will not carry ads of companies from the banking sector, entertainment industry, and alcohol and tobacco products, among others.

Instead, as of now, the magazine will depend on local ads of brands owned and managed by Muslims. Going forward, once the first issue is out, it will approach certain corporate sectors for branding. "Gradually, Muallim will become a platform for advertisers to tap Muslims, which approximately accounts for 15 per cent of Indian consumers," shares Nomani.

In an official communiqué, Maulana Ubaidur Rahaman Qasmi, editor-in-chief, Muallim, who is also a member of Islamic Investment and Finance Board of India and Alim from Darul Uloom Deoband, says, "Articles in Muallim will be based on Islamic theology and Muslim contemporary affairs."

Appreciating the concept, Hazrat Rabey Hasan Nadawi, president, All Indian Muslim Personal Law Board, says, "The time is apt as there is a dearth of such literature which focuses on Islamic upbringing and on contemporary issues."

The inaugural edition of the magazine will have 48 pages of content, which will be further increased based on the requirement.

Source: afaqs.com

Related posts:

1. Turkey: A Fashion Magazine Unshy About Baring a Bit of Piety The success of Ala, which has attracted 30,000 subscribers since...
2. Middle East re-opens markets to English meat Industry leaders have welcomed news that the United Arab Emirates...
3. India: First hospital in India to achieve Halal certification Global Health city, world class tertiary multi super specialty hospital,...
4. India: Intertek forays into Halal Certification in India Intertek, global leader in quality and safety solutions serving a...
5. Malaysia: World Halal Forum 2012 – Cultivating a Universal Halal Lifestyle Tan Sri Muhyiddin Hj Mohd Yassin, in his keynote address,...

According to the available information meningitis vaccine earlier produced, contained materials of bovine or porcine origin. Due to this reason Muslims had been complaining against those vaccines and urging for producing completely halal vaccine from halal ingredients. Due to this demand from the Muslim world an ‘apparently halal’ vaccine was produced named Mencevax. It is alleged that Mencevex even used porcine ingredients at manufacturing stage but the finished product could be made porcine free with the blessings of latest scientific technologies. Nevertheless, to say that Bangladesh is still using this ‘apparently halal’ vaccine though completely halal vaccine is available in the market. However, the government is under pressure to use halal vaccine especially for the hajj pilgrims.

The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) has recently forwarded a letter to the ministry of Health and Family Welfare on March 19 and urged the government to take necessary measures to collect halal meningitis vaccines for the hajj pilgrims.

It should be mentioned here that the Saudi government has already approved Menveo as a halal vaccine for its people. The Jakarta Globe reported that Indonesia’s health ministry has halted distribution of Mencevax for those planning the pilgrimage to Makkha, after the Indonesian Council of Ulema passed an edict banning the vaccine, citing the use of porcine enzymes. The health minister said that the country will not use the vaccines already purchased worth US$3.0 million.

Meanwhile, the government of Singapore has seriously been considering the issue as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has also expressed concern over possible problems with the vaccine after clerics in Indonesia declared it haram or forbidden under Islamic law, as pork and pig-derived by-products are prohibited for Muslims.

The Islamic Services of America (ISA) has approved Menveo as a halal vaccine manufactured by Novartis. After visiting Novartis plant based in Italy ISA has issued a certificate mentioning that “there are no additives or processing involving forbidden or suspicious ingredients” in Menveo. The Indonesian Council of Ulamas has also issued halal certificate in favour of Novartis’s Menveo, in July 2010, which is the first conjugate vaccine commercially available in Europe as well, that helps protect meningitis against four major serogroups of Neisseria meningitides A, C, W135 and Y.

European Commission (EC) has also granted a marketing authorisation for Menveo products in all 27 European member states. Menveo was also approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 21, 2010.

Menveo vaccine is a conjugate vaccine but the previous one was polysaccharide vaccine that has lots of limitations. It is not effective for infants, it cannot immune memory and cannot ensure prolonged duration of protection. But Menveo vaccine is very much effective for the aforementioned conditions. It not only protects but also prevents the carrier of the germs to spread, among others. The halal vaccine has a boosting effect, and in repeated use it doesn’t lose power rather intensifies it.

According to the Ministry of Hajj of Saudi Arabia 2,927,717 persons performed the holy Hajj in 2011. While Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims were 1,05,608 in number. This year around 1,20,000 Bangladeshis will perform the Hajj.

Every year millions of people from around 160 countries worldwide gather in Mecca for Umra and hajj. The Hajj has become the epicenter of mass migration of millions of Muslims of enormous ethnic diversity.

No other mass gathering can compare, either in scale or in regularity. communicable disease outbreaks of various infectious diseases have been reported repeatedly during and following the hajj. Therefore, to protect the pilgrims from communicable diseases the Saudi government has made it mandatory for the pilgrims to take meningitis vaccine before arriving at the holy place. During Hajj, carrier rates for meningococcal disease rise to a level as high as 80% due to intense overcrowding, high humidity and dense air pollution (according to www.eurosurveillance.org). It should also be mentioned here that the meningitis belt of Sub-saharan Africa, stretching from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east has the highest rates of the disease.

Therefore, saving life is of foremost important for the host country. Besides, the hajis might not be infected and become a carrier of such communicable diseases is also a great concern. And when there is an issue for haram and halal, the muslims will accept the halal one- no doubt. So, it is expected that the government will also take necessary steps to provide halal conjugate vaccine for this year’s hajj pilgrims.

Md Sazzad Hossain

Dhaka

md.sazzad.hossain@gmail.com

Related posts:

1. Malaysia to produce first ‘halal’ meningitis vaccine Malaysia said Thursday it plans to develop a "halal" meningitis...
2. Meningitis Vaccine For Haj And Umrah Pilgrims Confirmed Halal Malaysia: The Health Ministry Wednesday confirmed that the meningitis vaccine...
3. Meningitis vaccine: CCP serves notice on pharma companies for using word ‘Halal The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has served notices on...
4. Meningtis Vaccination Not Allowed Except Emergency Cases, Says MUI The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) said the use of swine-enzyme-containing...
5. Pakistan: Advertisements for Halal food on the rise Currently, Pakistan has no laws on halal product certification but...

ABU DHABI, March 6 (Reuters) – Muslims in the Middle East will soon be able to sweeten their coffee and cakes with halal sugar guaranteed to be free from burnt animal bone powder.

Keen to tap a booming market dominated by meat slaughtered in accordance with Islamic rituals, one of India’s largest sugar sellers is bagging up halal-branded sweetener made without any powdered cow bones used by some sugar refiners.

“How can sugar be halal you might ask? It is because there is no use of animal bones in the refining or bleaching or colouring process while other companies use it,” Rajesh Vangani, the head of Warana Sugar’s Gulf operations, said.

“The idea just came when a client from Iraq contacted us six months ago asking about halal sugar.”

Some refineries filter sugar through burnt and powdered cattle bones, known as bone char, in a process that also puts some vegans off refined sugar products.

Authorities in India, a country of over a 100 million Muslims, have now issued Warana with a two year-certificate that its sugar conforms to Islamic dietary guidelines.

The Middle East arm of India’s second-largest sugar company hopes the cow bone free brand will help it bag a 25-percent share of the United Arab Emirates market by the end of 2012.

It has imported 45,000 tonnes of white sugar over the past four months into the UAE and is waiting for government approval to market it across the country.

Warana is launching the product in the UAE but plans to sweeten the rest of the Middle East over the next year.

“Our next big target is Saudi Arabia and Oman,” Vangani said. “We hope to be in that market before next Ramadan.”

Food consumption usually rises during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan as families gather to break their fast from dawn to sunset over festive meals.

Related posts:

1. UAE: World’s 1st Halal Certified Sugar from India Kazi Mufti Mohamed Kifayathullah Baqavi, a recognized government body in...
2. Singapore: Middle East Enjoys a Taste of the South East Singapore food manufacturers anticipate growth in exports to Middle East...
3. Philippines push ‘halal tourism’ to attract Middle East visitors In the spirit of President Arroyo's Memorandum Order No. 201...
4. Middle East states expected to invest $700m in Malaysia Middle East countries are expected to invest nearly $700 million...
5. Vita Cat To Expand Market In Middle East KUALA LUMPUR, (Bernama) -- Edaran Vita Cat Sdn Bhd, a...

Warana Sugar Gulf Trading Unveils World’s 1st Halal Certified Sugar from India

Dubai, UAE – 9^th February 2012 :  Warana Sugar Gulf Trading LLC, part of Warana Sugar (India), today unveiled the world’s 1st halal certified sugar from India in an exclusive media launch held at the Al Maeshah Ballroom, Grand Hyatt in Dubai.   The company also announced plans to penetrate the GCC market this year, immediately after launching in the UAE.

Kazi Mufti Mohamed Kifayathullah Baqavi, a recognized government body in India, issued a 2 year-halal certificate to Warana Sugar valid from 20th November in 2011 which confirms that Warana sugar  is lawful and permitted for human consumption and fit for Muslim community.  The official document states that the “high tech processing machineries at the company’s manufacturing plant contains no Haram (Islamically forbidden) ingredients and other elements of impurities, harmfulness, alcohol, intoxicate materials, chemical substances and materials whole or part which are or have been derived from terrestrial and marine animals, pork, lard and by products, birds origin, skins, hair, blood, insects, fresh water or any other ingredients produced from genetically modified or engineered organism obtained through biotechnology”.

Chief guest at the launch was Mr Vinay Kore,  Chairman of Warana Group of Industries (India), who flew in to Dubai especially to attend the event.  He was joined by two other top executives Mr V.S. Chavan, Managing Director of Warana Sugar (India) and Mr Sanjay Vaidya,  Director of Warana Sugar (India).

Mr Rajesh Vangani, CEO/Director of Warana Gulf Trading LLC, said, “Warana Gulf Trading is pleased to be part of Warana Sugar (India), second largest Sugar manufacturer in India and known for its long standing history as a key player in India’s thriving sugar industry.   After launching Warana sugar in the UAE, we plan to penetrate Saudi and Oman before Ramadan and the rest of the GCC before the end of the year.”

Warana Gulf Trading LLC is the representative office of  Warana Sugar (India) in the Middle East and will be overseeing the marketing activities of Warana’s products across the region.

In the Middle East, there is currently a shortage in capacity of about 3 Million MT of sugar while the EU’s consumption requirement is forecasted at about 2.0 Million MT in the next 2-3 years.  Industry estimates published in 2009 revealed that the UAE’s sugar consumption is at nearly 140,000 tonnes per year, calculated based on the annual per capita sugar consumption of 34 kilograms per year, which is higher than the world average of 24 kilograms.  The region’s annual sugar consumption is at 12 million tonnes, of which 8.5 million are imported.

USDA May 2011 report cites there is a current surplus in the world’s sugar supply market which is predicted to shift to a shortage of sugar in the next 2-3 years due to strong demand coming from emerging markets.  India, being the second largest sugar producer in the world, next to Brazil, is also a large consumer.  In fact, the large amount of sugar that India produces as a net exporter, when offset by domestic consumption, makes the country a net importer of sugar.

“UAE’s strategic location gives it the advantage to cater to the export markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  We are currently finalizing our partnerships with key retailers in the UAE and as soon as we establish our presence in the region, we will focus on our expansion in CIS countries  and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania,” added Mr Vangani.

Warana sugar products will be available at all leading supermarkets, hypermarkets and retail outlets across the UAE by end of February 2012.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Ms. Cynthia Luna-Harb
Mobile: +971 50 228 5363
Email: cynthia@citroncommunications.com

Related posts:

1. UAE: Burnt bone-free ‘halal sugar’ heads to Middle East Keen to tap a booming market dominated by meat slaughtered...
2. India: Intertek forays into Halal Certification in India Intertek, global leader in quality and safety solutions serving a...
3. India: First hospital in India to achieve Halal certification Global Health city, world class tertiary multi super specialty hospital,...
4. India: Intertek responds to Indian Halal demand India has more than 175 million Muslim people but still...
5. Halal India signs MoU with Halal Nepal Mr Jinna, CEO, Halal India, stated that this MoU will...

DAMMAM: A high-level delegation of tourism and culture ministers, government officials, bureaucrats, airline operators and tourism experts from different states of India is currently visiting the Kingdom to familiarize Saudis with all that “Incredible India” has to offer.

Related posts:

1. India: First hospital in India to achieve Halal certification Global Health city, world class tertiary multi super specialty hospital,...
2. Singapore: Crescentrating.com and Halal India announces partnership Singapore based Crescentrating.com, which provides “Halal Friendly” rating for travel...
3. India: Intertek forays into Halal Certification in India Intertek, global leader in quality and safety solutions serving a...
4. Arab tourists’ interest in Turkey increases, say tourism officials Officials from tourism agencies from Arab countries, have spoken about...
5. Halal India signs MoU with Halal Nepal Mr Jinna, CEO, Halal India, stated that this MoU will...

Trade with India is not a new phenomenon
On the heels of Australia, New Zealand and Canada, India has captured a large share of Halal meat market globally. Though India is exporting Halal meat of all categories from poultry to red meat, it is buffalo meat that has earned India a lucrative market and burgeoning revenue. On an estimate between 1999-2009 India’s buffalo meat export has risen from 160,000 tonne to 650,000 tonnes. India’s exporting partners could be many, but China and Africa rank among the top two. The reason behind India’s success story is its livestock health status, the certainty of Halal compliance and of course competitive pricing. What made Pakistan languish for years in the corridors of this vital sector, achieving so far only one per cent share in the $650 billion market? “Nothing, but lack of political will and the vision to grow beyond self interest, “says CEO Punjab Agriculture and Meat Company, Mr Hamid Jalil. “Trade with India would not be a new phenomenon; we are already engaged with Indian market through SAFTA and on many occasions, indirectly as well. By providing MFN status to India, the informal trade would become formalised to a certain extent, adding into the tax pile”.

MFN can give us breathing space
Though, I do not see any exponential benefit out of this new arrangement to Halal meat market, there is some invisible support that could come handy. Being a nascent market, Pakistan has yet to build and streamline the infrastructural support of livestock. The supply line needs unravelling and a thorough overhauling. There is a huge demand and supply gap. Our farming practises are also antiquating. This scenario provides one opportunity wherein, we could benefit from the export of Indian buffalo meat to Pakistan. With MFN anchoring the trade, this export could be used for the time as leverage, filling the demand gap, unless we get away with our supply side issues. We can fill in our orders abroad while formalising things at home. Pakistani importers are already practicing this deal: let’s do it formally. Presently we are pressing upon our farmer to let the buffalo male calf survive till the age of six months and beyond so that a substantial quantity of meat can be taken from each animal. We are aiming at a behaviour shift, to create awareness about the difference between dairy and beef breed animals. For this, we have to make the farmer understand that beef quality could only be ensured if cows and buffalos are raised specifically for flesh purposes. We have to make them realise that a dual purpose approach, that is milking and slaughtering the cow once the carrier period is over, leads to diminishing market response and thus, uncompetitive pricing. Attaining this change would obviously take time; meanwhile, Indian export could be used to retain orders. Another best option would be, if we could import live cows from India, which I doubt the Indian law would permit. Though, World Trade Organisation too does not allow trade of live animals between countries within a region having foot and mouth disease endemic, however, by following quarantine rules at the port, this issue can be resolved and permission can be sought. But we should keep this in mind that other than cows, any easy flow of live animals to Pakistan would badly affect local livestock market.

India’s vegetable and fruit market
The paranoia that MFN has bought Pakistani agriculturist is due to the fact that we have regressed at all economic fronts, whereas, the world has gone ahead into new and advanced ventures. As rightly said by Dr Hamid, “We need to get federal at every level, even at the fiscal level; let district define their economic fate, by that I mean, every district should have a hand on its economic pulse. It should provide for its needs through indigenous resources. If you come to think of it, India by a wide margin, is a vegetarian country, in this respect, Pakistani vegetable and fruit market has a lot of trading potential with India. If we can make our land fertile to an extent that every cultivable land of this country is given to production, the trading prospects could do wonders.” Supporting Dr Hamid’s argument the Chief Executive Officer Khan Trading Company, Khalid Khan said that, “India could become a large market for Pakistani Kinow (oranges). According to an estimate, Pakistan can export 400,000 tonnes of Kinow to India, annually. This export would fetch $1.2 billion in the next two years.”

Pakistan could tap on Halal food market
Even though our cost of production is terrible, we have to understand that development is a dependent variable; it cannot take place independently. South Asia is the world’s largest populated area of the world today, with a high density of youth as well as Muslim population. The growing concept of Halal food is stretching itself to cover all that could be made Muslim in its texture, contour and chemistry. In Halal meat, the entire line of action through which an animal is brought up is supposed to be Islamic in nature. Exploiting this key point, Pakistan can make its niche as the only pure and real Halal meat producer, since we are by all means feeding our animals on organic food, unlike India that has adulterated feeding combination. Once we are in alliance perhaps, the perceptual disharmony would cease to make collaboration difficult and let each other grow in our areas of specialisations.

India’s high-tech farming
We cannot deny the fact that an Indian farmer is far more educated than a Pakistani farmer; his decisions are usually timely and effective. The major reason for this success goes to the IT industry that has placed India high on the pedestal of international business community. Free trade and frequent interactions could result in making our farming high-tech too with lesser cost, due to proximity of the two countries. Information on agro processing industries, aqua culture units, animal husbandry, floriculture, etc could give farmers the diversity that they need in making intelligent decisions and influencing policy making. Certainly, the cost of production in Pakistan has shot up exorbitantly, and the government of Pakistan needs to look at it seriously, especially when trade within such a close proximity is in view. However, if we shift the focus, try seeing India not an enemy, and most importantly become a friend to our own selves. MFN and the ensuing complaints would begin looking more like opportunities.

Durdana Najam is a freelance feature writer, currently doing MS in Governance and Public Policy from FC College, Lahore. She can be reached at durdananajam456@hotmail.com

Related posts:

1. UAE: Pakistan pursuing ‘economic diplomacy’ to boost economy and trade with UAE ABU DHABI — Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE Jamil Ahmed...
2. The rise of Pakistan in the global meat trade At a time when Pakistani businessmen have a hard time...
3. India: Intertek forays into Halal Certification in India Intertek, global leader in quality and safety solutions serving a...
4. Halal India & Halal Research Council Pakistan sign Strategic Partnership MOU Both parties will promote Halal Development industry in their respective...
5. India: First hospital in India to achieve Halal certification Global Health city, world class tertiary multi super specialty hospital,...

Halal India management is working with an Indian legal team to initiate a campaign with Indian Muslims association, leaders, and political parties to file a case to IATA office in India.

The following was a letter produced by Mr Jinna to IATA in India:

RE: Appeal to change the air catering food labelling name from “MOML” (Muslim Meal) to HALAL MEAL”  “HLML “(Permitted Meal).

May the peace be with you, Good day.

This is with reference to our on-board carting services under the auspicious of IATA standard for all the on-flight food & beverages services being provided to the passengers. We recollect that as per the existing categories of food services being practised by different faiths and religious affinities of the travelling passengers are dully recognized in India & worldwide.

We take this opportunity to most sincerely bring to your kind attention that as for as serving the food and beverages as per Muslim Faith and need , it is currently widely accepted and practised worldwide to serve and consume food & beverages under the label “MOML” (Muslim Meal). We most humbly put forward our sincere request to redefine this label “MOML”and to change it to “Halal” Meal. For Kosher meals, KSML meal is used (not ‘Jewish’ Meal) but when it comes to Muslims they code it to MOML (Moslem Meal). This is an open discrimination. It restricts in some way the popularity of Halal Meal among non-Muslims however it is fit for human consumption.

Your esteemed organization can also re-emphasize the same to IATA which will ultimately strengthen our community as whole.

Halal (Arabic: means lawful or legal) is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. It is the opposite of haraam. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law (Sharia).

This will have more specific reach to the set classified passenger travelling world wide.

This is only the first stage to give a more customer friendly understanding of the on-flight catering services available worldwide, and our first step is to address the need of on-flight catering services being provided to the people of Islamic Faith. Today many airline food catering service providers claim & label meals as “MOML” without proper halal certification processes being followed, and they self claim that the food is suitable for Muslim travellers. Authorised Halal Certification should be obtained if they claim the food is suitable for Muslim travellers.

We will forever be grateful to you and your organization if you would consider our aforesaid request and proposal. Expecting your positive reply and advice as soon as possible.

Thanking You,

Yours Truly,

Mohamed Jinna

CEO, Halal India

IN +91-9884399988 SG + 65-97638009

www.halalindia.org

“Eat Permitted Food – Live Healthy”

“O you people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and clean…”(Quran 2:168)

Related posts:

1. Appeal to change labelling airline meals to Halal Meal instead of Muslim Meal The following letter has been sent to Senior management in...
2. Are airline meals labeled Muslim Meals really Halal? The MOML - "Muslim Meal" is just a meal "without...
3. Halal Certifications for Airline Catering Facility in Kathmandu Soaltee Crowne Plaza Kathmandu and LSG Sky Chefs officially announce...
4. Opinion: How Gate Gourmet is trying to raise its game in airline meals With many taking their summer holidays now, and flights full...
5. Netherlands: School backs down from halal-only Christmas meal Nice gesture from a school in the Netherlands to make...

Halal Nepal is first and only certification body in Nepal which has rolled out its services few months back and has got tremendous response in the region. The MoU signing ceremony was held in India on 21^st October 2011. Mr Jauwad Ansari, secretary, Halal Nepal visited Halal India office with his team members which included representative from the sharia board of Halal Nepal.

On this occasion Mr Jinna, CEO, Halal India, stated that this MoU will help with bringing these two countries together in many ways. Lots of products are being exported from India to Nepal and now Halal India certified products will reach to Nepal to cater to the significant Muslim population of Nepal. And due to the increasing global appeal of Halal Certified products, non-muslims will also prefer Halal Certified products. He also brought to the attention of Nepal’s Tourism industry, which can be a next perfect place of Halal Friendly tourism in future.

Mr Jauwad Ansari, secretary, Halal Nepal stated that Halal India has huge experience in Halal Certification and other related services and Halal Nepal is very keen and enthusiastic to learn from Halal India.

About Halal India

Halal India is a leading certification body in India. Halal India is a member of IHIA (International Halal Integrity Alliance, Malaysia) which is a partner of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). Halal India is also partner with CrescentRating, a Singapore based Hospitality rating company.

Halal India has certified hundreds of companies in India as halal.It has provided Halal Business solution to Carrefour, the French Retail giant, which has already rolled out its presence in India through Wholesale Cash and Carry (WC & C), Nirma Salt, Haldiram Namkeens and Sweets, Goldwinner oil, Vadilal Foods, Vadilal ice creams, Bacfo Pharmaceuticals, Alchemist Limited, Ambuja Group, Daawat Basmati Rice, Palita Nasi Kandar Intl (P) Ltd (Malaysian chain of Restaurants), Hotel Vestin Park, Ruan Thai, Wangs Kitchen among many others.

About Halal Nepal

The first Halal certification authority in Nepal, which is registered under Nepal corporate law and it’s been accredited by most of the halal certification authorities around the world. Halal Nepal is an Independent NGO body, which incorporated with the government of Nepal, deals in Permitted (Halal) Food, Research Work, Issuing of Halal Compliance Certification, Independent auditing and monitoring product compositions and services as per Shariah law. Promote healthy& hygiene food preparation, handling and serving processes, promoting halal friendly tourism, halal friendly medical treatments, Facilitate Hajj & Umrah services , halal products supply chain processes & logistics. Promote and certify Islamic finance, bonds, insurance, stocks etc.  Thereby, we ensure that the Halal consumers and the Service providers derive benefits from that which is lawful and good as per shariah Law.

Related posts:

1. India: Intertek forays into Halal Certification in India Intertek, global leader in quality and safety solutions serving a...
2. India: Intertek responds to Indian Halal demand India has more than 175 million Muslim people but still...
3. India: First hospital in India to achieve Halal certification Global Health city, world class tertiary multi super specialty hospital,...
4. Singapore: Crescentrating.com and Halal India announces partnership Singapore based Crescentrating.com, which provides “Halal Friendly” rating for travel...
5. UAE: World’s 1st Halal Certified Sugar from India Kazi Mufti Mohamed Kifayathullah Baqavi, a recognized government body in...