MITI TO HELP CAPTURE MIDDLE EAST SMIS HALAL FOOD PRODUCT MARKET

PASIR PUTEH (Malaysia), March 11 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of International
Trade and Industry will take efforts to assist local small and medium sized
industries (SMIs) to capture the exported SMI halal food product market of
Middle East.

Its Deputy Minister, Mukhriz Tun Mahathir, said while local SMI halal
products have already penetrated the market and accepted by the Organisation of
Islamic Conference member countries, they have not been able to meet the huge
demand.

"At least they require one container (of products) for each delivery," he
told reporters at a get together session with religious teachers at a school
here Thursday.

The failure to deliver instead has seen Thailand in the picture as it has
many SMIs who have successfully adopted the requirements needed to supply the
halal products in demand, he said.

"The demand (for food products) include that needed by pilgrims performing
their Hajj at Mecca and Madinah during the Hajj season," said Mukhriz.

He said Malaysia had a greater potential to market the products considering
that more than 25,000 Muslims in the country performed their Hajj every year.

Expressing disappointment that the local SMIs could not meet the demand, he
said his ministry will be taking measures to encourage SMIs to increase their
production capacity as well as look into quality and more attractive packaging
in order to compete in the market.

--BERNAMA