Halal Market - Great Opportunity for Tay Ninh Enterprises

Thứ 4, 27/08/2025 | 10:16:28 [GMT +7] A A

In the context of increasing consumer demand in Muslim countries, the Halal market is opening up great opportunities for Vietnam's agricultural sector, especially in localities with strengths in agricultural production such as Tay Ninh province. Taking advantage of this potential will not only help increase export turnover but also improve product value and income for farmers.

To export to the Halal market, businesses must strictly comply with many regulations (Photo: Packing eggs for export at QL Vietnam Company Limited)

Potential from the Halal market

According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang, the global Halal market is currently estimated at about 8,000 billion USD and is forecast to increase to 12,000 billion USD in the next 5 years. The Halal food sector alone - the largest segment in the Halal industry - accounts for about 65% of total trade. With a compound annual growth rate of up to 10.5%, Halal food is forecast to account for 20% of total global food trade in the near future.

With more than 2 billion Muslims, concentrated in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa, the demand for Halal food is increasing rapidly in line with the population growth and income of people in these countries. Among the popular items, fresh food, processed chicken, vegetables, fruits, nuts such as peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, etc. account for a high proportion. This opens up great opportunities for Vietnam, including Tay Ninh, to promote export activities.

In the province, many large enterprises have invested in closed-loop livestock farms, meeting food safety and hygiene standards and traceability. This is an important foundation for achieving Halal certification - a prerequisite for exporting to Muslim countries.

Hung Nhon Group and De Heus Group (Netherlands) are large enterprises in the livestock sector. Since 2023, these two groups have entered into joint ventures in Tay Ninh with many key projects in the agricultural sector for the period 2025-2030 with the main goal of exporting livestock products to the Halal market. Therefore, the stage of breeding, animal feed, input materials, the closed farming process, etc. are all strictly controlled, ensuring that no prohibited ingredients are used according to Halal standards and ensuring a clean, stable and safe farming environment.

DHN Farm developed by Hung Nhon Group and De Heus Group in Tay Ninh is one of the largest joint ventures in Vietnam in the agricultural sector with the goal of conquering the Halal market

According to Mr. Vu Manh Hung - Chairman of the Board of Directors, General Director of Hung Nhon Group, in recent times, the Group has coordinated with international Halal certification organizations to gradually complete the documents, processes and management systems according to the correct standards. All are aimed at the goal of not only meeting the requirements of the Halal market but also improving the quality of Vietnamese agricultural products in the international market. At the same time, the enterprise also supports small and individual farmers in Tay Ninh to access modern equipment and farming processes, ensuring stable output.

Speaking at the Conference on connecting the agricultural supply chain of the Mekong Delta with the Middle East - Africa, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Tay Ninh Provincial People's Committee and the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Vietnam recently, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Hong Thanh said: Tay Ninh is a border province with a strategic geo-economic and political position on the East-West economic corridor; adjacent to Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai - the most dynamic and developed economic region in the country; is an important gateway connecting the Southeast region with the Mekong Delta region. In recent years, the province's import and export activities have continued to increase and achieved positive results. Tay Ninh currently has 37,465 enterprises, of which 48 enterprises export and import through the UAE with a turnover of 82.3 million USD in the first 7 months of 2025. In particular, the province has 57 enterprises granted Halal certificates, opening up great prospects in connecting, promoting agricultural product consumption and developing the market.

Accompanying businesses to overcome difficulties

Applying science and technology to cultivation helps to pave the path to conquer the Halal market (Photo: TTC AgriS)

At the recent conference on connecting the agricultural supply chain of the Mekong Delta with the Middle East - Africa, delegates said that despite the great potential, accessing the Halal market still poses many challenges for Vietnamese enterprises in general and Tay Ninh in particular.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Cong Hoang - Institute for South Asia, West Asia and Africa Studies (ISAWAAS); Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS), Vietnam has many natural advantages but still faces challenges in terms of standards and certification. Currently, very few Vietnamese enterprises are granted Halal certification, and Halal export turnover is estimated to reach 700 million USD in 2024.

In addition, the cost of investing in equipment, production lines, and safe raw materials in stages from packaging, transportation, preservation, etc. according to Halal standards is often higher than that of regular products. In particular, controlling cross-contamination of prohibited substances and ensuring cold storage conditions are significant barriers.

Disease-free livestock farming and quality control from input help Tay Ninh livestock enterprises easily access the Halal market

To support enterprises, in 2025, the province has been implementing a number of solutions to support enterprises and cooperatives in accessing the Halal market, such as accompanying the Ministry of Industry and Trade and trade promotion units to organize seminars and training; providing information on the Halal certification process; cooperating with prestigious international Halal organizations, connecting for businesses in the province to make it easier for them to apply for certification; etc.

“In the face of many difficulties in the world economy, market demand has not yet recovered strongly. Vietnamese enterprises in general and export enterprises in particular still face many difficulties in production, business, finding partners and orders. Therefore, organizing trade connection activities between suppliers of Tay Ninh, the Mekong Delta and export enterprises; organizing trade promotion is a very practical activity, contributing to supporting businesses to expand cooperation, promote the export of goods to the market” - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Hong Thanh emphasized.

UAE Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam Bader Almatrooshi also affirmed that UAE corporations such as Dubai Port World, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Lulu Group are actively supporting the introduction of agricultural products of the Mekong Delta to the world through global logistics and distribution systems.

Ambassador Bader Almatrooshi emphasized: “The global Halal food industry is expected to exceed 6,000 billion USD by 2033, Vietnam is in a favorable position to seize this opportunity with the companionship and support from the UAE”.

Director of the Middle East - Africa Department Nguyen Phuong Tra also said that in the coming time, the embassies and UAE enterprises will continue to support to help Vietnamese enterprises in general, and provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta in particular, promote cooperation in the fields of agriculture, food and increase import and export; develop the Halal industry for export to the UAE and Middle East markets. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is committed to accompanying and the Middle East - Africa Department will act as a bridge, with the common goal of turning political commitments and good diplomatic relations into specific and practical economic cooperation results, bringing benefits to the people of the two countries.

The Halal market is a strategic direction for Tay Ninh's agricultural sector in the coming years. However, this market requires a comprehensive commitment, from products to supply chains. Therefore, businesses need to prepare well from production, Halal certification to building a network of strategic partners to succeed in this potential market, affirming Vietnamese quality in the international arena./.

By Vu Nguyet - Translated by Q. Thien