September 4, 2009
Australian halal red meat exports on the uptrend
In the 2008-09 financial year, Australia exported 187,671 tonnes slaughterweight (swt) of certified halal red meat products, up over 17 percent on-year.
The exports are valued at US$673 million and represents over 10 percent of the total value of Australian red meat exports. These figures do not include the countries that seek halal product where certification is not a requirement such as the US, Japan, UK and Korea.
Australia's certified halal markets span the globe, with the lion's share being within the Middle East/North Africa and South East Asian regions. However, there are emerging countries such as Bosnia Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Mauritius and the Maldives that also require Halal certification for red meat imports.
With the Muslim population continuing to increase by nearly 2 percent per annum, representing the most populous religion in the world with approximately 2 billion followers, Australia's halal red meat exports are also expected to continue to grow with this increasing demand.
