SHAH ALAM: The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) targets to market food products such as biscuits and chocolates by its smallholders or entrepreneurs to the supermarket chain in China by July this year.
Chairman Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin said this was one of the initiatives by the agency to assist in opening up market opportunities for the smallholders and entrepreneurs to increase their income and not depend only on income from rubber which is subject to price uncertainty.
He said he would be leading a delegation comprising members of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Chamber of Commerce to Xining, China, soon to meet Chinese Internet tycoon, Jack Ma, to have further discussions on this matter.
“We are made to understand that the sale of halal food products online in China is among the two biggest pioneered by the Ma family.
“In addition, the Ma family owns 20 hypermarkets in China which could be explored by Risda’’s entrepreneurs to market their halal products,” he told a press conference after launching the Selangor-level Risda Entrepreneurs Carnival in Shah Alam on Tuesday.
He said priority would be given to market food products by Risda’s entrepreneurs with Produk Ummah logo, besides products with the halal logo from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia.
The Produk Ummah logo was developed by Risda with the cooperation of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism, he said.
He also said besides products manufactured by Risda’s entrepreneurs, food products by entrepreneurs under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development would also be marketed to China.
“At the meeting, Risda will also discuss the Islamic tourism programme in an effort to make Malaysia as an Islamic tourism hub for Chinese tourists who want to make Malaysia as a transit to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia),” he said. – Bernama
Source: The Star Online, 2/5/17