A booth at a food exhibition in HCM City (Photo: congthuong.vn)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Halal food is a promising exportproduct for Vietnamese companies to pursue though they may face challenges.
The Halal Certification Agency in Ho Chi Minh City said hundreds of localenterprises have recently sought instructions for exporting to markets likeTaiwan and Nepal.
Many like Orion Vina, Vinamilk, Nestle Vietnam, Cai Lan Oils and FatsIndustries Company, Tuong An Vegetable Oil Company, Minh Phu SeafoodCorporation, and An Phu Seafood Corporation have received Halal certification.
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hang, marketing head of the Halal Certification Agency, wasquoted by Nguoi Lao Dong (The Labourer) newspaper as saying that Vietnam has agreat advantage thanks to its huge agricultural and fisheries resources.
The export opportunities are huge ifenterprises have well-trained human resources, she said.
At a recent conference on the potential of the halal market, experts saidcompanies should register for certification as it is a sign that tells halalcustomers their products are suitable for them.
The conference said the market would be worth trillions of dollars as theMuslim population increases from 1.5 billion in 2010 to 2.7 billion by 2050.
Nepal and Taiwan are two promising markets.
Currently, trade between Vietnam and Nepal is modest compared to the potential,according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Taiwan is also a huge market and Vietnamese products are quite competitivethere, with many Vietnamese types of products being exported.
But experts said the challenges would face companies right at the stage ofregistering for a halal certificate.
Hang said the fees are not low and the certificates are different for differentmarkets, meaning companies need to get many different ones.
Dang Hoang Giang, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Cashew Association, said inmany markets, Vietnam has no diplomatic presence and so companies havedifficulty getting assistance.
Geographical distance remains an obstacle too and it takes one to two months toship goods to Africa, he said.
Payment is also a problem since importers in many of these markets do not offerletters of credit from banks.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade warns exporters to be careful when sellingto these new markets.
They should first collect information about importers from third parties liketrade offices, business groups and logistics companies, it said. — VNS/VNA
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