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President of Tatarstan points to high export potential of Russian-made halal products

There are around 800 producers of halal products in Russia

KAZAN, May 19. /TASS/. Russian-made halal products have high export potential, President of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said during the 2017 KazanSummit. According to him, these products should be considered as a separate export category which needs to be developed.

"It is very important for us to consider this category (halal products) as an export one. I believe, it has high export potential," Minnikhanov said.

According to the Halal Committee of the Spiritual Department for Muslims of Tatarstan, there are about ten halal certification centers in Russia and around 800 producers of halal products. Nearly 60 companies producing halal products have been certified by the regional Spiritual Department for Muslims. However, no data is available about the output and export volumes.

Experts believe that Russia is capable of finding its niche on the global halal market. Chairman of the Tatarstan Halal Committee Marat Nizamov told TASS that the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and some African countries were ready to purchase Russian-made halal products. "They mainly want meat, meat products and confectionary. There is a great demand for that," he said.

Tatarstan has been assessing the Iranian and Pakistani markets. "We have not been supplying much, there have been only test shipments. Just yesterday we had a meeting with a delegation from Pakistan. They have a huge interest in our products and they also want to supply their products to Russia," Nizamov added.

The Ninth International Economic Summit, dubbed KazanSummit - Russia and the Islamic World, which involves Russia and members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, is being currently held in Tatarstan’s capital of Kazan. This year, more than 2,000 people from 50 countries are taking part in the summit that focuses on the economic development of Islamic countries and Muslim-populated areas, as well as on socially responsible business, environmental protection, charity, tourism and Islamic education. TASS is the summit’s information sponsor.