Cause of concern: Pakistan’s share of Halal market ‘negligible’

FAISALABAD:

Speakers at a workshop on Friday said that despite having a great opportunity to grab global Halal market, the country’s share in this regard was negligible.

They were speaking at a training workshop on Halal Food at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad’s (UAF) National Institute of Food Sciences and Technology.

Pakistan National Accreditation Council Director General Ismat Gul Khattak said that the country’s share in the international Halal markets could be enhanced manifolds. She said some ingredients and food items available in the market were suspicious in terms of Halal food.

She said they had launched a Halal food accreditation system which was being replicated in many Muslims countries. She said that the system would help ensure the availability of Halal food.

UAF Vice Chancellor Iqrar Ahmad Khan said Muslims made up 24 per cent of the world population. He said Halal food markets worldwide valued $1.4 trillion, but Pakistan’s share in it was negligible. He said Indonesia, Australia, Canada, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Thailand and the US were among the world’s leading suppliers of Halal products.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2016.