Manila setting sights on Halal food market

Sunday, Feb 23, 2014

(Manila, Feb. 23, 2014) The Philippines food industry is setting its sights on taking advantage of the growing market for Halal products, the Department of Agriculture said.

In a statement, the department said the country, which has a sizeable Muslim population is gearing up to take a slice if the multi-billion dollar market for Halal products or food that complies with Islamic dietary guidelines.

“The growing global market for Halal foods, known to be worth $2.95 billion for meat alone, have already successfully tapped by other non-Muslim countries such as Brazil, Thailand, Australia, and Belgium,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) said, adding that nearly a decade ago, the Philippines, has already recognized this opportunity.

To take advantage of this market, a wide-ranging initiative had been undertaken at the national level as well as in areas of the country where there are high centrations of Muslims. These are the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), SocSarGen (South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and General Santos) as well as the

“In the 2004-2010 Medium Term Philippine Development Plan, Mindanao was specifically cited as the part of the country where Halal Industry has all the ingredients required to realize our country’s Halal Food Basket,” it said.

In recent years, necessary groundwork for Halal Food production had taken place in the country. The Philippine National Standard for Halal Food, the code of Halal Slaughtering Practices and the protocol for Halal Certification had been generated by a group of national agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture (DA), and the OMA (now National Commission for Muslim Filipinos).

The ARMM had also developed its own Halal Food Industry Master Plan and Certification Body along with related measures undertaken by SOCSARGEN or Region 12, Regions 9 and 11.

“A number of Philippine food exporters can attest to the Halal market niches in the Middle East countries that await our producers and exporters. We cannot just watch while our neighbours’ Halal food industries move on to meet their local demands as well as those of the global markets,” the DA said.

Earlier efforts by the government to export chicken had encountered some difficulties owing to the stringent global Halal certification protocols.

“The challenge to evolve a competitive Halal Production drive is for the Mindanao regions to respond to,” the DA said.

The agriculture department said local government units in the provincial and municipal level “ will to take on the challenge by mainstreaming production initiatives with the DA and other institutions.”

“The DA, through the Bureau of Animal Industry the National Meat Inspection Service, the Livestock Devt Council, the Bureau of Agricultural Products Standards and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, have lined up the following Halal support projects: Halal Slaughterhouses, Halal Goat Production, Halal Organic Fertilizer,” the DA said.

President Benigno Aquino III as early as April 14, 2011 had issued directives to “accelerate the efforts in making the establishment of Halal Industry in the country a reality.”

“We have a lot to gain from Halal Food industry and, therefore, we must work together to move it forward,” Aquino had said then.

By Gilbert P. Felongco Correspondent