Thai Halal Food Goes International

The Ministry of Commerce is working with other government agencies and the private sector in pushing for the ?Thailand Halal Hub? project, aimed at developing Thailand as a halal food center.The Department of Business Development under the Ministry of Commerce serves as a core agency in mapping out an action plan for the project. It has selected the Thailand Halal Hub as its pilot project in the โ€œModernizing Thai Enterprisesโ€ program. The project is in line with the government policy of developing Thailand into the โ€œkitchen of the world.โ€ Halal food consists of products passing through clean production process in conformity with Islamic dietary principles. Today, Thailand has become one of the worldโ€™s major food exporters. Widely recognized internationally, Thai food brings in 400 billion baht in export value each year. Out of this value, 120 to 130 billion baht involves halal food. Popular Thai food products in the world market include rice, seafood, and frozen and processed chicken.Director-General of the Department of Business Development Orajit Singkalavanich said that Thailand has great potential for producing and exporting more halal food. The proportion of Thai halal food exports in the world market is still low. In fact, consumers of halal food are not confined only to Muslims. A large number of health-conscious consumers are interested in this kind of food as well, because its production process focuses on hygienic standards.Major exporters of halal food are developed countries in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) group, the European Union, and Australia and New Zealand. These countries are not Muslim nations, but they have modern technologies and their production is up to international standards. For instance, Canada, with 300,000 Muslim people, has announced that it would strive to become a halal food hub. Currently, the Muslim population around the world is about 1,500 million, accounting for 25 percent of the global population. Halal food has a trade value of US billion in the world market. Thailand wants to increase its market share, which now accounts for less than one percent. It also plans to develop southern Thailand as the countryโ€™s base for halal food production.According to Miss Orajit, Thailand has the ability to achieve the status of a halal trade center. It is rich in raw materials for food production. Thai food also offers many varieties and flavors. Public and private organizations in Thailand are also ready to cooperate in promoting halal food production to international standards. However, they need a clear strategy to enhance the competitiveness of Thai halal food at the international level. Therefore, the Department of Business Development is staging a move to draw up an action plan for the Thailand Halal Hub project