December 7, 2007

Thai food giant resumes chicken exports to Middle East

Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) exported the first 64 tonnes of cooked chicken worth US$328 thousand to the United Arab Emirates after it was certified with the Thai Halal brand in June.

Agriculture minister Thira Sutabutr said the certification helps boost export of Thai chicken to the market of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and the Sultanate of Oman.

There are more than 1.8 billion Muslims around the world and the halal food market is valued at about US$0.5 million to US$2 million per year, according to the Thai News Agency.

However, Thailand's market share of exported chicken was only 0.01 percent, according to Sutabutr.

UAE approved the Thai Halal brand, 24 chicken slaughterhouses, and 36 chicken processing factories after its senior officials visited Thailand to inspect halal food production, according to Dr. Anan Sirimongkolkasem, chairman of the Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association.

CPF is the first Thai firm to export cooked chicken to the GCC countries after the UAE licensed Thailand to export chicken to its markets in September.

Thai chicken exports are expected to reach 320,000 tonnes this year and will grow by 5 to 10 percent in 2008, according to Adirek Sripitak, president and chief executive officer.