June 27, 2006

Malaysian company starts imports of halal meat from China

Aron Sdn Bhd plans to introduce China-imported halal meat to local supermarkets and hypermarkets by July this year, selling them under the Aron brand.

CEO Afizul Aezhar Sharifuddin said premium meat from China is 15 percent to 20 percent cheaper than meat from New Zealand and Australia.

Currently, only a handful of suppliers import halal-meat from China for local consumption. 90 percent of meat that Malaysia imports comes from India.

A factor working in China's favour is that its cattle and sheep are fed wheat, stalk and grains, without the use of animal-based feeds, the company said.

Its cattle, goats and sheep are also manually slaughtered in accordance to Islamic requirements. China's cattle are mostly reared in the Xinjiang region, where grasslands are abundant and the resident population is mostly muslim.

Aron has secured permits to import 48,000 tonnes of beef and mutton this year.

The company expects to import about 160 containers of both beef and mutton monthly and RM16 million (US$4.3 million) revenue a month.

The company may also start its own beef operations breeding and processing for its own cattle in China.

Demand for halal meat is growing internationally and China has the land and cheap labour for meat operations, Sharifuddin said, adding that enquiries have been received from South-East Asia and West Asian countries.