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Halal opportunities for Alberta’s beef industry
4-03-2018
According to an Edmonton Journal article the Canadian halal market is valued at $1 billion annually. The demand for halal meat is expected to increase as the Canadian muslim population is projected to tripple by 2030 from one million as per 2011 Stat Canada census.
This niche is now receiving more attention than 15 years ago when Alberta’s Department of Agriculture started looking into halal market opportunities.
Grant Winton the lead of the department’s Asia, Middle East and Africa international relations division stated "the halal industry one of the biggest opportunities open to Alberta producers and processors.”
 In May 2017, three business partners opened in Redwater, a small town about 50 km north of Edmonton a slaughterhouse dedicated to halal production. They deal with beef, elk, goat, lamb and bison but No pork products are slaughtered since Pork is forbidden in Islam.
Co-owner Huzefa Khan figures the halal industry is markedly more recession-proof, “because people gotta eat.”
“We also feel proud of this work — of pushing and promoting local. Small businesses like the idea they can support local, support the economy and get quality Alberta meat,” he said.
Last year the agriculture department held two well-attended information sessions about Halal opportunities in the market.
Winton said opportunity exists for various spinoff products, such as making gelatin from beef instead of pork.
“This is the best-kept secret that anyone who’s doing well would probably like to keep to themselves.”
Footnotes: Footnotes: Notes and Pictures courtesy: edmontonjournal.com, The owners of Alberta Bros. Meat Packers, Northern Alberta’s only exclusively halal slaughterhouse, are Sohaib Rehman, left, Huzefa Khan and Haseeb Rehman. Emma Graney/Postmedia Emma Graney
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