Food/ Halal hub of ASEAN

Chatrudee Theparat

The government puts a big effort to promote Thailand as a halal food hub in Asean.

The government will soon establish a national halal food committee to boost Thailand as a halal hub of Asean within 2028.

Prommin Lertsuridej, secretary-general to the prime minister, said the government has just established a national halal food committee to boost Thailand as the halal hub of Asean. The government plans to boost halal food to generate more income to Thai economy and expects it would help drive additional 1.2% to GDP over the next five years or 2028. It is valued at 55 billion baht and helps create more 100,000 jobs.

He said the development of halal food also is aimed to lift income earning of people in three southern provinces of Pattani,Yala and Narathiwat, with job creation due to high unemployment rate in the three provinces, especially those holding bachelor degrees.

Previously, he said the Thai government has already talked about collaboration with Brunei and Malaysia on halal food development. The industry ministry is required to prepare for an establishment of a center of halal food and later ask for approval from the Public Sector Development Commission.

In addition, a draft of a strategy plan and action plans between 2024 and 2028 to the National Economic and Social Development Council. The industry ministry reported to the cabinet that its global value of halal food is US$2.1 trillion and average annual growth of 7.5%.

Thailand’s exports of halal food from January to November 2023 was 216.69 billion baht, grew by 2.7% from the same period last year, down from average 4.1% annually recorded in the past ten years, mainly rice, grains and sugar.

Prommin Lertsuridej

There are over 15,043 halal food manufacturers and 3,500 of halal food shops in Thailand. Mr Prommin said Thailand has high potential to export halal food to high-income countries such as Saudi Arabia and Brunei.

Saudi Arabia is a major importer of halal food with $22.57 billion in 2022, up about 4.2% year-on-year. The oil-rich nation has also redistributed halal food to Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar. For Brunei, it imported $580 million. Thailand aims to lift five halal products including food, fashion, pharmaceutical, herbs and tourism.