Trade department eyes 6-8% growth in 2019 halal exports
Credit to Author: TYRONE JASPER C. PIAD| Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 16:17:55 +0000
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is eyeing to grow its revenue from halal exports by 6 to 8 percent this year as more products, mainly food and beverages, are getting halal certification.
Last year, revenues from indicative halal product exports reached $560 million, 90 percent of which accounted for food and non-alcoholic beverages, while the rest were cosmetics, personal care and pharmaceutical products, among others.
The target growth translates to about $594 million to $605 million revenues for 2019.
Local halal products are exported to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brunei and more.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Trade Undersecretary for Trade Promotions Group Abdulgani Macatoman said they aim to certify as halal at least 100 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) every year to boost the participation of the Philippines in the $3.2-billion global halal market and make the country a “respectable player.”
The government halal-certified 236 SMEs last year.
Macatoman said there are 11 million Muslim Filipinos, including halal enthusiasts for the local halal market. On the other hand, there are 2 billion Muslims around the globe, 1.4 billion of them are in Asia.
Meanwhile, there are nine halal-certifying bodies, three of them are accredited by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, the DTI said. The rest are still getting accreditation, the DTI explained. Over a thousand products are certified as halal, it added.
In February, the Philippines joined the Gulfood in Dubai along with other 25 participating exhibitors. It generated $83 million revenues, up from $80 million last year. The country also participated in the Malaysia International Showcase in April, growing its revenues by 10 percent to $11 million at present.
The DTI will be hosting its second National Halal Industry Conference in Clark, Pampanga on May 2 to 3 to boost awareness on halal certification for food products and tourism facilities.
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