Bac Ninh seizes great opportunities from the Halal market.

BAC NINH - The Halal market – an economic sector encompassing products and services produced and supplied according to Halal standards, in compliance with Islamic regulations – is opening up significant opportunities for global trade. With its many existing potentials and advantages, Bac Ninh can participate more deeply in the Halal supply chain, expand its market, attract investment, and enhance the value of its local products.

Advantages of the province

Speaking ahead of the scientific conference themed "Prospects for the Development of the Halal Industry, Export Opportunities for Businesses" organized by the Bac Ninh Provincial People's Committee on May 15th, Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Cong Hoang, from the Institute for South Asia, West Asia and Africa Studies (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences), stated that the Halal market is expanding and has significant room for growth in purchasing power.

The global Muslim community is projected to number approximately 2.48 billion people between 2025 and 2026, representing about 31% of the world's population. The Halal economy is forecast to grow from $2 trillion in 2020 to approximately $3.3 trillion in 2028. The food and beverage sector alone will continue to play a leading role, accounting for about 60% of the Halal economic ecosystem's demand.

High-standard garment businesses like Ha Thanh Fashion Joint Stock Company in Hoang Van commune have an advantage when accessing the Halal market.

Bac Ninh province has many favorable conditions for accessing the Halal market, consistently ranking first in attracting FDI nationwide. In the first four months of 2016, the province also topped the country in import and export turnover at US$66.5 billion. Furthermore, the province has a system of large industrial parks such as VSIP, Yen Phong, Van Trung, Quang Chau, etc., creating an important foundation for attracting large-scale food processing, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and packaging projects that apply international standards and organize efficient supply chains.

In terms of logistics, Bac Ninh is located in the Northern key economic region, directly connected to Noi Bai International Airport and Hai Phong seaport, or the upcoming Gia Binh International Airport. This shortens transit time, reduces logistics costs, and increases access to export markets; facilitating the development of cold chain supply and smart cold storage systems.

In particular, the province has significant potential in high-tech agriculture and deep processing, with many production models adhering to VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and electronic traceability standards. Specifically, the province has 17,500 hectares of lychee orchards meeting VietGAP standards, 255 hectares meeting GlobalGAP standards; 782 products have achieved OCOP status of 3 stars or higher, and 100% of OCOP products apply traceability. This result creates opportunities to penetrate new markets for Bac Ninh's agricultural products and provides momentum for upgrading the quality of local products to higher standards.

Standardization for entering new markets

Although the Halal market has great potential, many experts believe it is not easily accessible without proper preparation. According to Mr. Ramlan Bin Osman, Head of the National Halal Certification Center (HALCERT) under the Conformity Certification Center (Ministry of Science and Technology), the scope of the Halal economy has expanded to many sectors, but products must ensure integrity throughout the entire supply chain. From raw materials, additives, packaging, machinery, production lines, warehousing to transportation… everything must be strictly controlled.

Bac Ninh province has many favorable conditions for accessing the Halal market, consistently ranking first in attracting FDI nationwide. In the first four months of 2016, the province also topped the country in import and export turnover at US$66.5 billion. Furthermore, the province has a system of large industrial parks, providing a crucial foundation for attracting large-scale food processing, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and packaging projects that adhere to international standards and organize efficient supply chains.

Therefore, businesses wishing to enter the Halal market not only need suitable products, but also need to properly understand the standards, certification process, and accreditation mechanism.

In Vietnam, the national standards system has been supplemented with TCVN 12944:2020 on Halal food - general requirements, to standards on good agricultural practices for Halal production facilities, Halal animal feed, Halal animal slaughter requirements, requirements for organizations certifying Halal products, processes and services, standards on Muslim-friendly tourism services, etc.

For Bac Ninh, many experts suggest that the province could start by prioritizing the development of advantageous sectors such as plant-based agricultural products, processed foods, dried foods, beverages, herbal products, auxiliary materials, standardized packaging, and cold chain logistics services.

From there, it gradually expanded to higher value-added groups such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, functional foods, or specialized processing clusters. It also became more deeply involved, playing a central role in production, processing, logistics, and investment connectivity in the northern region.

Mr. Tran Van Thanh, Head of the Department of Standards, Metrology, and Quality (Department of Science and Technology), said: “In the coming time, we will work alongside businesses, cooperatives, and production and trading establishments in the area to update new domestic and international Halal policies, regulations, and standards; support access to Halal certification processes for food, packaging, logistics services, and tourism friendly to Muslims; build a product traceability system; standardize factories, warehouses, transportation… and connect scientific and technological solutions to serve safe production.”

To provide businesses in Bac Ninh with more information and guidance to promote the development of the Halal industry, the Provincial People's Committee, in coordination with the National Standards and Metrology Committee, is organizing a scientific workshop on the topic "Prospects for the Development of the Halal Industry: Opportunities for Businesses in Bac Ninh Province".

The workshop featured numerous speakers from government agencies, embassies, businesses, and international experts in the field of Halal, who shared valuable knowledge and experience, thereby creating further motivation for businesses in Bac Ninh to proactively improve their quality management capabilities and meet the increasingly high demands of the global Halal market.

Text and photos: Huyen Thuong

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/bac-ninh-don-co-hoi-lon-tu-thi-truong-halal-postid445595.bbg