Prime
Govt to improve Halal certification standards to boost meat exports
Minister Evelyn Anite (2nd right) during a tour of Ranchers Finest, a meat processing plant, in Bwaise, Kampala, on Thursday. PHOTO | MICHAEL AGABA
What you need to know:
- Ms Anite said the government will work with the private Halal certification providers to ensure the country’s products are not generated in other countries.
State Minister for Investment (Privatisation) Evelyn Anite has said that the government will support the elevation of Uganda's Halal certification ecosystem to meet international standards for meat exports.
Halal certification attests that a product due for export is manufactured and packaged in compliance with the precepts of Islamic Law as set by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Ms Anite said the government will work with the private Halal certification providers to ensure the country’s products are not generated in other countries.
“Because it is largely an international concern, as you know Uganda is largely a Christian country. So we are going to work with our Muslim brothers to resolve this challenge and have the regulations in place,” she said.
“Just like we had challenges with the banking system about implementing Islamic Banking. So we had to make consultations with the Muslim brothers and we broke through, so we are going to work with the Muslim brothers to have the regulations in place because we need to have access to the international Islamic market. So I am going to take it up,” she added.
The minister was speaking on Thursday during a tour of Ranchers Finest, a meat processing company, based in Bwaise, a Kampala suburb.
Mr Collin Muyanja, the CEO of Ranchest Finest, told the minister that their attempts at getting a licence to export beef to some Islamic countries, especially in the Middle East are hampered by stringent requirements.
“Right now we can't export Halal products because we do not have an internationally recognised Halal certificate. The ones that are there are not internationally recognized, so they need to be helped to be accredited internationally so that's what the government needs to establish,” Mr Muyanja said.
“There are really stringent requirements in terms in terms of certification, in terms of quality standards, and we believe government can work hand in hand with us, especially as we grow our footprint in the export market, ensuring a win-win for us,” he added.
In response, Ms Anite said she will work with the stakeholders in the ministry to ensure the matter is resolved.
She hailed the company for adding value to Uganda’s agricultural sector by buying chicken, beef and mutton from Ugandan farmers before processing them to produce sausages and other meat products.
Mr Muyanja said Uganda’s beef is in high international demand because of its low cholesterol (fat) content.
He said the company produces between five and 10 tonnes of processed meat daily and employs 195 permanent staff with more than 2,000 employed indirectly.
He said they have invested Shs18.5 billion in the business and paid Shs1.6 billion in taxes annually.
Mr Muyanja, however, decried high operating costs caused by power cuts and high taxes, especially Value Added Tax, high cost of capital, and lack of enough space for expansion.
In response, the minister urged the company managers to take advantage of the government’s low-interest loans provided by the Agricultural Credit Facility and the Uganda Development Bank, among others.
She promised that the President would soon officially commission the meat processing plant.
