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Last Updated: Jun 25th, 2007 - 17:07:26 |
Aussie beef exporters keen to tap Malaysian halal mart
By Azlan Abu Bakar
November 20 2006
AUSTRALIA is keen to partner Malaysian firms, especially those involved in halal food production, to increase export of beef from that country.
Australian Trade Commission senior trade commissioner and minister-counsellor (commercial) Peter Kane said Malaysia ’s position as a hub for the halal market and recognisation of its halal certification globally could help its beef industry players to penetrate a wider market including the halal-based market.
“We see a lot of potential to further grow our beef industry in this country,” he told Business Times at the Australia High Commission in Kuala Lumpur recently.
He noted that a number of slaughter houses in Australia are now Syariah-compliant and have switched to producing halal meat products, thus enabling them to cater to both the halal and non-halal mark ets.
“Given that Australia is a big producer of basic resources like wheat and beef and Malaysia is well-known as a halal hub, it will be a win-win situation for both countries to expand the export ties further,” Kane said.
Australia’s main beef markets are the US, Japan and Canada with a global export market worth A$5 billion (RM14 billion) per year. Beef exports to Malaysia are worth A$20 million (RM56 million) a year.
In 2005, Kane said, Australia sold 37,000 cattle, 38,000 goats and 24,000 sheep to Malaysia.
“We supplied 90 per cent of the goat market, an excess of 90 per cent of sheep and 95 per cent of cattle to the local market,” he said, noting that globally it sold about 1 million cattle and up to six million sheep per annum.
Besides increasing its market share, Australia also plans to work with local companies to provide nutrition for the local cattle industry.
“Although agriculture only contributes about 4 per cent to Australia’s gross domestic product, we want to play an important role especially in the beef product business,” he said.
Malaysia is the biggest importer of Australian beef with 32,870 tonnes valued at RM43.5 million imported last year and 63,540 tonnes valued at RM58.5 million in 2004.
Australia will participate in the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Show (MAHA) at the Malaysia-Agro Exposition Park starting from November 21 to November 26.
It wll also hold an Austrade syposium titled — “Livestock Management —An Australian Exper ience” on Wednesday.
Five Australian companies will participate to showcase their products at the event.
“Five speakers from Australia will give talks to industry players in various issues which include research, market and nutrition, he said.
MAHA is sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and is considered to be the biggest South-East Asia show on the latest business innovations and solutions in the agriculture sector.
Australia is a strong participant in the event this year, with a number of representatives from the Western Australia State Government, Meat and Livestock Australia, Department of Agriculture and Fishert and Forestry, present at the event.
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