daniel chigunwe
Zimbabwe is participating at the 9th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) in Kuala Lumpur.
The showcase started on Monday and is ending tomorrow. Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Malaysia, Constance Chemwayi, said the main aim of participating was to make Malaysia a gateway to accessing the US$3 trillion halal global market of which only 20 percent of the demand is being met.
Chemwayi said the Zimbabwean trade booth will be manned by the trade promotion body, ZimTrade and four participating companies that are exhibiting some of the country’s horticultural products, teas and coffees, honey and honey products as well as herbal products and its signature drink Mazoe.
Halal is a dietary standard set within Islam, and Muslims are expected to conform to the dietary rules set in this standard. Hence there is an advantage of having food products and their preparation inspected and confirmed as meeting the standard.
“It is our hope that through participating at such a big fair in the South East Asian region, Zimbabwean products that meet the global high standards will find a share in this halal global market.” She said Zimbabwe has the capacity to supply horticultural produce and related processed foods, which are unique and have rich natural flavours that suit the current global consumer patterns.
“Our participation gives us the opportunity to connect to the right business in the halal ecosystems and supply chain, gain knowledge from the halal industry captains and enhance networking opportunities.
“It also gives us an opportunity to promote Zimbabwe as a reliable and competitive sourcing and business destination for our manufactured goods, horticultural products, and value-added services that meet the halal standards,” Chemwayi said.
Themed “Paving the Way of Halal” MIHAS 2023 will be attended by 470 buyers and 40 countries, and aims to highlight the latest trends, technologies, and innovations across 13 major halal industry clusters.
The 19th MIHAS will place special emphasis on the agenda of helping local and international business to look to innovation and sustainable initiatives to spearhead steady growth for the halal economy.
MIHAS is not limited to the ASEAN region alone, but is also supported by the enthusiastic participation of International Pavilions from countries across the globe (the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, the Americas and Africa region), trade commissions, various Government agencies, industry players and market leaders.-New Ziana
Online Reporter