Growing Presence of Malaysian Halal Products in Hong Kong
TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2015, KUALA LUMPUR: Realising the prospects for Malaysia's Halal sector in Hong Kong, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) spearheaded a Specialised Marketing Mission (SMM) on Halal in Conjunction with Hong Kong Food Expo (HOFEX) 2015 from 6th to 9th May 2015 at Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.
A total of 25 representatives from 12 Malaysian companies have participated under Malaysia's pavilion. Malaysian Halal products showcased during the event were biscuits, cocoa products, ready-to-eat meals, sauces and pastes, beverages, poultry and meat, plastic packaging as well as flavouring, colouring and fragrance.
According to MATRADE's Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong, Ms. Zaimah Osman, Malaysian exporters generated RM 19.52 million worth of sales from 207 pre-arranged business meetings. Among Malaysian companies participated in this event were Fikrisz (M) Sdn Bhd, , Top Fruits Sdn Bhd, Agro Jerneh Sdn Bhd and Lai Hin Trading.
Mr Mohd Fadrol Hishaini Mohd Salleh from Fikrisz (M) Sdn Bhd said, "We received a lot of enquiries during the business meeting for our Halal Premixed coffee, tea and cocoa. We managed to close a deal with an e-commerce company from Hong Kong, Macau and China during the mission." As for Ms. Iris Tan from Top Fruits Sdn Bhd she mentioned, "Demands were high for our tropical fruits and HOFEX is an excellent gateway for us to promote Malaysian frozen durian and tropical fruits to China and Hong Kong".
Another participant, Mr Abdul Mohsein from Agro Jerneh Sdn Bhd said, "With the current trend of healthy living in Hong Kong, our product, MOOLA energy bar fits the demographic in the Hong Kong market. There is a huge potential for Halal food products to enter Hong Kong and this mission has provided us the platform to meet new and existing buyers especially within the Asian region." A representative from Lai Hin Trading, a first-time participant for the event said, "Through SMM HOFEX, our company was able to negotiate deals for our products such as salted duck eggs with buyers from Hong Kong and Brunei."
Themed as "Growing Your Business", 2015 marked MATRADE's 6th participation in HOFEX. Held biennially, this event consistently brings together the players from global food and hospitality industry. HOFEX, over the years, has become a platform for participants to browse, purchase and discuss the latest trends of global food and hospitality industry in the regional and global market.
In 2014, Hong Kong was Malaysia's 15th biggest export destination of Halal products with an export value of RM639.88 million, 13.73% higher compared to year 2013 (RM562.62 million).
