US halal poultry exports to MidEast expected to cross $400m


 TradeArabia

Chaudhry (L) with Helmer (R) at the Gulfood expo
The USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) anticipates poultry and egg exports to the Middle East in 2015 will surpass the $400m value achieved last year.

Jim Sumner, president of USAPEEC, predicts a strong year of exports to the Emirates will propel US agricultural exports to the UAE beyond the anticipated $1.5 billion recorded last year.

“Gulfood’s 20th anniversary stands as a testament to the importance of the UAE to the US and the rest of the world,” said Ambassador Asif Chaudhry, vice president and general sales manager – Commodity Credit Corporation. “US agricultural exports to the UAE have been increasing steadily over the past several years and we look forward to seeing Gulfood grow over the next 20 years. There are 166 companies at the show this year and all of them hope to strengthen current partnerships within the Emirates and the region, as well as establishing new ones.”

The US is rapidly becoming one of the world’s largest suppliers of halal poultry products,” said Sumner. “By establishing a presence at Gulfood many years ago, our exports to the UAE have grown year-on-year. In 2014, the US supplied 74,870 metric tonnes of chicken products, 3,001 metric tonnes of turkey products and more than 1.96 million dozen eggs to the UAE. Our exhibitors are thrilled with