Japan Order Halal Food from Malaysia for Tokyo Olympics

Kuala Lumpur, MINA – A small factory in Malaysia is preparing thousands of ready-to-eat halal foods, from fried rice to biryani chicken. The food menu will be sent to Japan to coincide with the 2020 sports event, the Olympics.

“This is a great opportunity for us, our goal is not to go in and out. We have to go in and stay for the long term,” Ahmad Husaini Hassan, boss of the My Chef company that makes food in Kuala Lumpur, thus quoted from Japan Today on Monday.

Malaysia is the only country that has reached a halal cooperation agreement with Tokyo for the Olympics. My Chef aims to double his income to 4.5 million ringgit or around US$ 1million this year. Currently, they are in talks with Japanese retailer Aeon to work together to develop a line of ready-to-eat halal food and snacks.

HQC Commerce is one of four companies chosen to distribute Malaysian halal products in Japan. The Olympics is a stepping stone for bigger things.

“We know that during the Olympics demand will be highest, so it is time for us to promote Malaysian products,” said the CEO, Khairul Shahril Hamzah.

Malaysia wants to use the Olympics as a stepping stone to encourage halal exports, including food and cosmetics. They are targeting around five billion to US$ 12 billion this year.

In 2018, Malaysia exported halal goods worth US$ 604 million to Japan. As much as 90 percent of it is food and processed foods.

Malaysia’s halal trade lags behind non-Muslim countries such as the United States, China, and Brazil. According to data company Research and Markets based in Dublin, the value of global halal market is projected to reach US$ 2.6 trillion in 2023, almost double that of 2017.

The Malaysian government has set a target to sell food and halal products worth US$ 300 million to Muslims and non-Muslims during the Japanese Olympics. It has secured space on the sidelines to host the “Malaysia Street 2020” promotion.

The opportunity will offer opportunities to sell food and for companies to meet with Japanese buyers and distributors. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)