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Last Updated: Jun 25th, 2007 - 17:07:26 |
The New Zealand meat industry is awaiting the result of an inspection of halal slaughter practices at meat processing plants so exports can resume to Malaysia. The trade was suspended in 2005.
The meat industry hopes to hear in a month that New Zealand meat processing plants have been cleared to resume exports to Malaysia.
Malaysian authorities suspended the trade in 2005, after inspectors from that country found that most New Zealand abattoirs were not fully complying with halal slaughter practices required by Muslim consumers.
After almost two years of negotiations, inspectors from the Malaysian Islamic authority finished a new audit of New Zealand meat plants last week.
The Meat Industry Association says it expects to hear the outcome of the audit in a month.
During a recent visit to New Zealand, the Malaysian Agriculture Minister said he would expect the trade to resume almost immediately if the audit clears the plants.
He estimated the suspended trade has cost New Zealand about $NZ40 million in lost sales.
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