Malaysia’s FELCRA, Philippine Firms Tie Up To Sell Halal Products To Global Market

From Nur Adika Bujang MANILA, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- Felcra Bhd, a fully Malaysian government-owned company has signed manufacturing and supply agreements with three companies in the Philippines to market halal food products to the international market, including Malaysia. Its chairman, Bung Moktar Radin, said the collaboration was among the drastic measures undertaken by Felcra to heed the call by Prime Minister Najib Razak for the organisation to become a major entity to drive the food industry in the country. "At the initial stage, the cooperation with the three companies involve halal certification process by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) on the factories and food products. "The Jakim halal certification recognition will provide more room for Felcra to bring products by the Philippine companies to the global and domestic market," he told Malaysian journalists after signing a manufacturing and supply agreement with Bigfish Foods Corporation here Saturday. Bung Moktar said the agency had also inked cooperation agreements with seafood producer, Frabelle Market Corporation and tuna-based food manufacturer, Alliance Select Food International Corporation. Under the agreements, all halal food products manufactured by the three companies will be marketed to the global market only by Felcra. He said Felcra through its subsidiary, Felcra International Private Ltd (FIV), would focus on trading and marketing at the international level, especially to meet the global demand for halal products. He said FIV had also identified a few strategic partners in China, the Middle East and Japan, while Felcra was planning to look for partners in Cambodia and South Korea. Bung Moktar said Felcra also planned to diversify its business into the agro-food industry so as not to be fully dependent on its oil palm business, and would also focus on animal feed, pineapple and coconut business in Malaysia. --BERNAMA