Solution for exporting animals to the Halal market

Businesses start up

At the "Conference on Promoting the Export of Animals and Animal Products" recently taking place on May 18 and organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Tay Ninh Provincial People's Committee, many businesses have enthusiastically proposed solutions to promote the export of animal products in particular and agricultural products in general to the Halal market.

CPV Food Binh Phuoc Company under C.P. Vietnam is one of the dynamic businesses in poultry export and is also one of the few businesses in the livestock industry to achieve Halal certification.

Mr. Nguyen Van Cam, Assistant General Director of C.P. Vietnam Corporation, said that CPV Food Binh Phuoc's farms are closely inspected and monitored by the state veterinary agency, together with the company's strict inspection.

Each batch of chickens leaving the farm is randomly sampled to ensure that the criteria for avian influenza, NDV, AI, antibio, and pesticides meet the requirements and standards of the government and exporting countries to produce and process finished products that are safe for consumers.

After 3 years of operation, CPV Food Binh Phuoc achieved the following certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 22000, and GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative), such as BRC (British Retailer Consortium) and FSSC (Food Safety System Certification).

In addition, for the markets the company is exporting to, the Halal Muslim market also requires certification from the Halal organization. The EU and UK markets require additional requirements on animal welfare that are certified by reputable agencies and organizations in the market.

"Each country sets different standards, so the negotiation process prolongs, taking a lot of time and opportunities for businesses. In order for products to reach the Halal market, it is recommended that MARD and the Department of Animal Health (DAH) introduce avian flu and Newcastle disease-free zones on the website of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and develop geographical indications so that countries can soon approve frozen fresh meat. Continue to negotiate effectively with the market to maximize products according to market demand," Mr. Nguyen Van Cam emphasized.

According to a representative of De Heus Group, the Group is currently coordinating with Vietnamese livestock businesses and farmers to build a broiler production chain with the wish to provide the domestic and export markets with clean, safe, traceable products.

De Heus's strategy in the coming time is to invest heavily in sustainable slaughterhouses and processing facilities throughout Vietnam to complete the broiler production chain to support output for farmers.

The Group is actively coordinating with MARD, specialized agencies, and consulting organizations to develop standards suitable for importers. Besides, build solutions to export chicken meat, products processed from chicken meat, and poultry eggs to Muslim countries (Halal market) and other potential markets.

"The Group is preparing to sign a cooperation document with two Muslim countries to export poultry meat products. To export animal products sustainably, the Group hopes that the Government of Vietnam will support consulting on veterinary requirements, food safety, and standards of export-oriented countries, especially standards of Muslim countries (Halal), as well as support information about countries accepting chicken meat exported from Vietnam. At the same time, support is needed to gradually perfect the process and remove technical barriers to soon bring Vietnam's chicken meat products into the Halal market and other demanding markets," said Mr. Rasmus Hansen, Food Division Director at De Heus.

Open a 'gold warehouse' for export

According to Mr. Tran Van Tan Cuong, Director of Vietnam National Halal Company, the company is one of the businesses operating in the Halal sector related to types of Halal certification (cooperating with partners such as PRIME, IHC, and HTO) according to the standards of international Halal certification agencies (MUI, JAKIM, and GCC) for domestic businesses, facilities, and factories. Therefore, the company has full experience and understanding of the characteristics, consumer tastes, and the Halal certification market.

According to Mr. Tran Van Tan Cuong, the Halal industry is one of the trends in the world market. For food, the Halal standard requires that the Halal food preparation process comply with Muslim rules and that product integrity, safety, and hygiene are maintained throughout the supply chain, not simply in the input raw materials.

In particular, there is no unified Halal standard in the world. Many Muslim-majority countries appear to comply with their Halal standards, which are not necessarily compatible with those of other countries. Currently, some Vietnamese businesses have begun to learn about the Halal market, but the level of thoroughness is not great.

"Vietnam's biggest limitation in penetrating the Halal market is that the proportion of Muslims is very low, and few of them are trained in the Halal certification process.

However, that does not mean that Vietnam does not have opportunities to exploit this market. The most important condition is that countries and businesses are clearly aware of the importance and potential contribution of the Halal industry to the country's revenue.

From there, strengthen investment promotion and negotiation activities to open Vietnamese agricultural products, as well as other industries, to this potential market," said Mr. Tran Van Tan Cuong.

At the conference, Director of the Department of Animal Health Nguyen Van Long provided information that Saudi Arabia and Vietnam have built a close relationship, becoming important regional partners for each other. Saudi Arabia is one of Vietnam's leading economic partners in the Middle East.

At the request of the business, DAH contacted the Saudi Arabian and Nigerian authorities to request that they provide requirements and processes to negotiate the export of Halal products. As a result, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment is coordinating with relevant authorities to develop a roadmap and Halal certification process in Nigeria and will share information with DAH after completion.

Next, Saudi Arabia, a major market in the Middle East, also agreed to update the situation of avian flu and Newcastle diseases in Vietnam on the WOAH's website and will consider providing regulations, requirements, and processes for importing Halal poultry meat products from Vietnam after assessing that Vietnam meets the conditions to have the current temporary import ban on poultry meat and poultry products lifted.

"The population of the Middle East market is more than 2 billion people, so it is very rich in potential. MARD has prepared for the export of poultry meat to Muslim countries in the Middle East and the Halal market since 2023. As of now, if everything goes well, Vietnam can export 1,000 tons of poultry meat every month. Promoting poultry meat exports to the Halal market will help Vietnam resolve product balance," Mr. Nguyen Van Long said.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien, the Prime Minister has just approved the project "Strengthening international cooperation to build and develop Vietnam's Halal industry until 2030" to promote the development of national standards (TCVN) in the Halal sector and develop a project to establish a National Halal Certification Center.

At the same time, Vietnam is also actively working with Halal certification organizations in other countries to sign mutual recognition of technical standards.

"In the context that the current world economy has many fluctuations, diversifying export markets and opening new markets with a lot of geographical balance, such as the Halal market, is considered the golden key to accelerating Vietnam's exports in general and the livestock industry in particular and contributing positively to the country's economic development," Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien emphasized.