Allana welcomes more Bumiputera players in meat import business

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 export to Malaysia by over 10% in the near future.

Malaysia imports RM2bil worth of meat annually, mostly from India.

The Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry recently said it would impose a minimum 30% quota for Bumiputera participation in the sector, from a mere 10%, to break the monopoly of the meat import cartel.

"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 today.

Established in 1865, Allana Group is India's largest exporter of branded processed food products and agro commodities to over 85 countries.

It commenced the export of Frozen Halal Buffalo Meat (FHBM) to Malaysia in 1982.

Afzal said the group is now acknowledged as the world's largest halal meat producer with its half million tonnes of annual export.

In Malaysia, Afzal said the group commands a 52% 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 can also be initiated from Allana Group's newly-constructed abattoir in Ethiopia.

"Malaysia is a developed market that we will nurture. We see our export 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