September 20, 2007

Philipines' Mindanao moves closer towards chicken exports to Middle East
 

Having acquired its own halal certification body, the autonomous region of Central Mindanao is now moving closer towards its goal of exporting chicken to the Saudi Arabian market and by extension the Middle East.

Vicente Lao, Mindanao Business Council chairman, said Sheik Fayez Hamid Zainy of the Abar An-Zainy Co. visited the city last week to discuss the possibility of exporting chicken to Saudi Arabia.

Zainy would bring Saudi Arabian officials who are in charge of halal certification in November. The certification process may take three months.

The company also noted that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has already formed a halal certification body.

Halal certification is a matter of credibility, Lao said, pointing out that once Saudi Arabian authorities endorse the halal certification body in the autonomous region, it should be easier for products carrying the certification and logo to enter the markets.

Lao has been pushing for the export of poultry products to other countries, particularly the Middle East.

He also introduced the idea of forming a joint halal poultry business among  the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area.