Re: Halal Forum Tackles Industry Commercial Aspects

....of marketing Pork (Prophet's favourite).


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Halal Forum Tackles Industry Commercial Aspects

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Going beyond
the usual academic and religious discussions, participants in the World
Halal Forum, currently hosted by Kula Lumpur, are looking at the sector in
commercial terms, discussing how to regulate and promote the booming
industry.

"We believe this event could potentially help develop the industry and
chart
its direction in the near future," said Jumaatun Azmi, managing director
of
KasehDia, the organizer, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Abdal Hamid Evans, a KasehDia official, said industry players "want to
know
about market access, how to increase their sales and networking."

He asserted that there are a lot of issues emerging as halal goes global.

"The farm-to-fork nature of halal requires a forum where all of the
different elements can get together, where issues can be resolved."

Nestle Malaysia, Britain's biggest retailer Tesco and fast food giant
McDonald's are joining experts and regulatory bodies participating in the
forum, which closes on Wednesday, May 10.

The event features interactive sessions that will cover a variety of
relevant topics, with industry leaders presenting papers covering the
business and trade issues that concern the halal industry.

Booming

Khairy Jamaluddin, a leading figure in the ruling National Front
coalition,
agreed that discussions should move to the commercial aspects of the
industry.

"Experience has shown that theological debate as to what halal is and what
isn't can delay the growth of the market considerably," he told the
opening
session on Monday, May 8.

He expects the global halal industry to hit the impressive mark of one
trillion dollars.

"Our own estimates put the global market value of the halal food trade at
$580 billion annually. If products such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and
other services are added in, the combined market value is believed well in
excess of one trillion dollars."

The concept of halal, -- meaning permissible in Arabic -- has
traditionally
been applied to food.

Muslims should only eat meat from livestock slaughtered by a sharp knife
from their necks, and the name of Allah, the Arabic word for God, must be
mentioned.

Now other goods and services can also be certified as halal, including
cosmetics, clothing, pharmaceuticals and financial services.

MIHAS 2006

The third Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS 2006) will open
Wednesday under the theme "Networking, Consolidating and Energizing the
Global Halal Market."

"We hope to arrange 2,000 business matching sessions during the event, of
which 80 percent will be in business such as food, pharmaceuticals and
cosmetics and the other 20 percent in general trading," MIHAS chief
executive director Mohd Shukri Abdullahhe told a press conference Tuesday.

He said this year's event will see 358 exhibitors, of which 259 are local
and 99 foreign, including those from Bosnia, Brunei, China, Egypt, France,
the Netherlands, Turkey, Iran, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The five-day event is expected to see the signing of at least 16
agreements
each day, according to Malaysia's news agency Bernama.

MIHAS 2005 reaped RM217.1 million in immediate sales and RM12.8 million in
sales under negotiation, involving 93 international buyers and 753 trade
meetings.

Malaysia, a mainly Muslim country seeking to become a "halal hub", has
said
it would create a new Halal Industry Development Corporation to promote
its
ambitions and help expand the industry.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the center will develop halal
standards and certification and procedures, and improve the skills and
abilities of halal producers.

Halal food production zones are already operating or being built in six
Malaysian states, and a sprawling halal distribution hub has been built at
a
duty-free shipment zone in southern Johor state, on the busy Malacca
strait.

In 2004, Malaysia launched a bi-monthly magazine, The Halal Journal, as
the
first trade and business publication serving the global halal marketplace.

http://islamonline.net/English/News/2006-05/09/article03.shtml




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