KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC) chairman Khairul Azwan Harun said growing demand for premium halal meat in Europe was an opportunity for Malaysian producers to climb the value chain.

He said this could be through the training of butchers and extending halal certification to include premium-grade products.

"This could be an opportunity to elevate the status of local halal meat, which is often undervalued” he said during the Q&A session during a briefing on Halal Economy and its Impact on Malaysia here today.

He added that Malaysia was not only a source of halal products to the world, but expertise as well.

Last year, he said, a meat processing facility in Korea sought Malaysia’s halal certification but lacked the trained personnel.

"Due to a shortage of skilled halal slaughterers, Malaysia took the initiative to train and send four certified halal workers to assist.”

While he acknowledged the extent of this practice has yet to enumerated, he suggested developing options under part of Malaysia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training initiatives.

Khairul Azwan said this would also enable halal abattoir workers to elevate their skills and increase earning potential from just basic butchery.

He further said more must be done to certify Malaysian companies involved in the halal industry to build faith in the country’s halal supply chain.

"In the halal industry in Malays there are approximately 200,000 companies involved in halal-related activities. However, less 10,000 of these companies held Malaysian halal certification in 2023.

"Out of these 10,000 certified companies, fewer than 1,500 are engaged in exports. This highlights the workload that needs to be shared and the first step is to increase the number of companies obtaining halal certification,” he said.

As of December 2024, he said the halal industry’s contribution to the local economy was estimated to be RM146 billion.