Scientific Workshop "Exploiting and accessing the Halal market - Opportunities and solutions for Nghe An"

Attending the workshop were members of the Provincial Party Executive Committee: Hoang Phu Hien - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Nguyen Quy Linh - Director of the Department of Science and Technology. Representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, experts, scientists, and businesses inside and outside the province.

bna_3(2).jpg — Overview of the workshop. Photo: Quang An

The Halal industry includes products that are "allowed" and "legal" to use according to Islamic law, with strict requirements on ingredients, processing, and transportation. The Halal industry includes essential products of life such as: Beverages, organic foods, functional foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, textiles, handicrafts... and service sectors such as: Banking, tourism, security, education and training, food services, hotels, logistics.

Delegates attending the workshop. Photo: Quang An

The global Halal market has great potential in terms of the size of the Muslim population, with about 1.94 billion people, accounting for nearly 1/4 of the world's population. It is forecasted that by 2030, the global Muslim population will reach about 2.18 billion people, accounting for nearly 30% of the world's population, with the Halal consumption scale expected to reach 3 trillion USD by 2025. This is a great opportunity for Vietnam to expand the export of goods, attract investment, develop the tourism industry to serve Muslim tourists, and at the same time strengthen cooperation with 57 member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and many other markets.

Comrade Nguyen Quy Linh - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Director of the Department of Science and Technology emphasized the scale of the Halal market. Photo: Quang An

For Nghe An - a province with diverse agricultural advantages and a large-scale raw material area, some products have advantages in participating in the Halal market such as: Aquatic products, livestock products, processed agricultural products, spices and herbs. Convenient in transportation (Cua Lo port, National Highway 1A, North - South railway, Vinh airport). Some units are granted Halal certificates such as: Van Phan Dien Chau Seafood Joint Stock Company, Truong Thinh Tea Company Limited; Traditional Tea Company Limited...

However, in Nghe An, there is still limited information about the international Halal market, the certification process is complicated, and the human resources with knowledge about Halal are limited, there is a lack of understanding and a lack of a synchronous Halal certification system...

Mr. Ramlan Bin Osman - Director of the National Halal Certification Center spoke at the workshop. Photo: Quang An

At the workshop, experts, scientists and businesses discussed topics on the Halal market such as: Legal framework and state policies for businesses when accessing the Halal market; Accessing the global Halal market: Potential, challenges and recommendations for Nghe An; Halal tourism and prospects for developing Halal tourism in Nghe An; Some solutions for developing agricultural raw material areas that meet and meet Halal standards...

The workshop also proposed specific solutions for Nghe An province to increase access to the Halal market in the coming time such as: Building a strategy for key Halal products (milk, tea, seafood, processed agricultural products, spices, medicinal herbs, Halal tourism). Planning raw material areas that meet VietGAP/GlobalGAP and Halal standards, applying digital technology and blockchain traceability. Training a team of local Halal consultants, experts and technical staff. Building a complete Halal value chain, from raw materials - processing - certification - logistics - trade promotion...

In his concluding remarks, Comrade Hoang Phu Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee thanked and acknowledged the enthusiastic, scientific and practical opinions of experts, researchers, businesses and delegates attending. Comrade Hoang Phu Hien affirmed that these suggestions will be an important basis for Nghe An to build a strategy to approach and develop the Halal market in a systematic, effective and sustainable manner in the coming time.

a gentle — Comrade Hoang Phu Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee spoke at the workshop. Photo: Quang An

Nghe An province will focus on raising awareness and renewing thinking about the Halal market, considering this a long-term strategic direction. Departments, branches and localities will step up propaganda and training, helping businesses understand Halal standards, certification processes as well as the cultural characteristics of the Muslim community, thereby forming a production mindset associated with international standards.

The province will also develop a strategy to develop Nghe An’s signature Halal products, selecting advantageous industries to target potential markets such as the Middle East, Malaysia, Indonesia, UAE or India. Along with that is the formation of standard raw material areas, application of modern technology and digital transformation in management, process control, and traceability, to meet the strict requirements of the global Halal market.

Delegates visit booths at the conference. Photo: Quang An

Along with that, the province will strengthen trade promotion activities, international cooperation, participate in and organize Halal events and fairs, gradually building the brand "Halal Nghe An - reliable, standard, sustainable".

In the long term, Nghe An aims to form a Halal business ecosystem, creating close links between production, processing and consumption units, promoting small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, and OCOP craft villages to participate in the “Halal production cluster” model, connecting through digital platforms and e-commerce. With a proactive, creative and long-term visionary approach, Nghe An hopes to soon become a reliable destination on the regional and world Halal map.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/hoi-thao-khoa-hoc-khai-thac-tiep-can-thi-truong-halal-co-hoi-va-giai-phap-cho-nghe-an-10308537.html