Allana welcomes Bumiputera participation

KUALA LUMPUR: Allana Group, the world’s largest halal meat producer, welcomes the government’s move to increase Bumiputera participation in the meat import business.

International Business Development (Processed Foods Division) president Afzal Aziz said the move could help improve the group’s exports to Malaysia by over 10 per cent in the near future.

Malaysia imports RM2 billion worth of meat annually, mostly from India.

The Agriculture and AgroBased Industry Ministry recently said it would impose a minimum 30 per cent quota for Bumiputera participation in the sector, from a mere 10 per cent, to break the monopoly by meat import cartels.

“Bumiputera or non-bumiputeras, doesn’t make a difference. Whoever wants to import, we are open to it, and whatever (local) policy is decided, we will follow,” he told a press conference organised by Allana Group in addressing the import monopoly issue, here yesterday.

Established in 1865, Allana Group is India’s largest exporter of branded processed food products and agro-commodities.

It began exporting Frozen Halal Buffalo Meat (FHBM) to Malaysia in 1982.

Afzal said the group had been acknowledged as the world’s largest halal meat producer, with its total annual exports exceeding half a million tonnes.

In Malaysia, Afzal said the group commanded a 52 per cent market share at 10 per cent of its export and averaging about 50,000 tonnes of FHBM coming into the country on an annual basis.

He added that a fresh supply of mutton and beef to Malaysia could also be initiated from Allana Group’s newly-constructed abattoir in Ethiopia.

“Malaysia is a developed market that we will nurture. We see our exports to Malaysia growing by an additional 500 tonnes monthly, if approval is given by the government to bring in mutton and beef from Ethiopia,” he added. Bernama

We see our exports to Malaysia growing by an additional 500 tonnes monthly.

AFZAL AZIZ Allana Group International Business Development (Processed Foods Division) president