China attractive market for Halal

Its Executive chairman Datuk Abdullah Ahmad, said the company planned to penetrate areas in China with large Muslim populations where there was likely to be good demand for such products.

The company's first major success came on Monday when it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here to export halal food to two companies from China - Shanghai Hengyi Trading Co Ltd and Shanghai JD Trading Co Ltd.

"The two companies have agreed to import a variety of halal products to be distributed in supermarkets in Shanghai," he said.

"They have identified four supermarkets including Carrefour," he told Bernama after the signing of the MoU witnessed by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz.

Rafidah was in Shanghai to lead an 80-member trade and investment mission to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

Abdullah said that after Shanghai, BIZ Link would try to capture the market in Kunming.

He said that under the MoU, the company would import food products estimated at 18 containers per year, with one container worth about RM90,000.

Abdullah said that the products include herbal tea, cookies, three-in-one coffee, canned food like sardines and sauces and rice-based products like porridge.

"We expect good response for these products and intend to promote more like dried fruits and frozen food. The first shipment was on May 27 and subsequently one container per month," he said.

He said that the company wanted to bring in more halal food into this programme and was working with MARA to get funds in order to undertake promotions.

"Otherwise, we cannot push the products, especially in new markets," he said.

On why Shanghai was chosen as the first destination for the company's venture, he said it was due to the market demand.

"There are opportunities here, the Muslim population is quite large, Shanghai also has good purchasing power and has an estimated population of 17 million," he said.

"We also came here based on Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)'s assessment," he said.

MATRADE is the organiser of the eight-day Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong trade and investment mission which started on May 24.

On the set-up of BIZ Link Global, Abdullah said that it was a new entity established to place the bumiputera halal product manufacturers under one roof in order to market their products.

"We coordinate all these companies. That is better. We want to market ourselves. If we go through third parties, that will unnecessarily decrease the margins," he said.