Cherkizovo Group unveils prospects for halal product exports

Cherkizovo Group, Russia's largest meat producer, took part in the business program of the Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum, the key platform for economic cooperation between Russia and Muslim countries. The Company shared its vision of opportunities to expand halal product exports to the CIS and beyond.

One of the events of the 14th Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2023, which was held in the capital of Tatarstan on May 18 and 19, was a panel discussion titled Drivers for Russian Agricultural Exports Development: Halal Products. During the session, Sergey Levin, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Russia , commented on the increasing importance of partnerships with Muslim nations in the current geopolitical environment, adding that Russia had been actively ramping up its exports of halal products, delivering a 24% growth for the full year of 2022.

However, according to Natalia Bartnovskaya, Head of Export Development at Trading Company Cherkizovo , poultry meat from Russia accounts for only 8% of total imports in the CIS and the Customs Union countries, where the Muslim consumer behavior prevails, while the total share of imports is 35%. ** “Although we are close neighbors and bona fide manufacturers of halal products, the bulk of imports to those countries comes from the US. We currently have all the right conditions to ramp up our shipments. This could be facilitated by mutual recognition of Russian products by halal certification bodies of the CIS and the Customs Union countries, as well as unified certification requirements for all exporters,” she said.

Speaking about halal poultry supplies to the Middle East, Natalia Bartnovskaya said that Russian exporters can strengthen their position in the GCC markets (primarily Saudi Arabia) and grow exports through branded products and the development of all sales channels, including retail and foodservice. KazanForum also featured a discussion of the prospects for exports to other Asian countries that have demand for halal products, such as Malaysia. Cherkizovo Group expects the Malaysian market to open up for Russian animal farming and poultry products in 2023.

At the Russia–Indonesia conference, Rustam Khafizov , Head of Cherkizovo Group’s Innovative Analysis Center, pointed out that in 2022, Cherkizovo Group’s halal product exports totaled 11,500 tonnes, compared with a mere 3,500 tonnes in 2021. ** The biggest economy among ASEAN members and the country with the largest Muslim population in the world (more than 230 million), Indonesia is also an exciting opportunity to develop Russian halal poultry exports.

Cherkizovo Group manufactures halal products at six facilities that have halal certificates issued by a number of Middle Eastern countries. These facilities have Muslim employees who slaughter poultry by hand.

The Group's portfolio of halal products includes Latifa, Dajajti, and Krasnobor. Latifa is a halal poultry brand. Founded in 2015, it was not only intended for Muslim consumers, but also for a wider group of customers focused on high-quality products. To tap into the export markets of Islamic countries, the Company developed a line of halal products under the Dajajti (My Chicken) brand. In 2022, the Group also began exporting Krasnobor halal turkey meat to retailers in Saudi Arabia.