The Republic of Sudan has been making headlines all over the world for some unglamorous reasons. Unbeknownst to all, its Halal industry is one of the most prosperous in the world – and its meat, lauded as one of the best by meat-eaters.
When Babiker Omer met some of the meat’s industry leading players from France back in 1988, one of them showed him a photo of Sudanese lamb and said candidly, “This is the Rolls Royce of the world’s sheep” That is something rather inspiring and positive to hear, especially since most people nowadays would conjure up an image of a famined Sudan, torn by incessant civil wars.
Omer, director of the Khartoum-based RAMA Investment Company, is quick to correct the rather distorted image of his country. “Sudan has 120 million animals – out of which the cattle share of this population is 40 million!” he says. “Sudan could even be a potential Halal meat centre of the world.”
This vast republic, with a total area of more than 2.5 million square kilometres – slightly more than a quarter the size of the US – gained its independence in 1956 from Egypt and the UK. Nevertheless, its first animal resources development department was established as early as 1902. This was followed by numerous university faculties of veterinary sciences and seven main animal research centres.
Sudan’s primary resources are agricultural, with 80 per cent of its 39 million people working in the sector. The country is diversifying its cash crops but cotton and gum Arabic remain its major agricultural exports. Livestock production has vast potential, and many animals, particularly cattle and sheep, were exported to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab countries in the 1920s, claims Omer. The biggest importer of Sudanese meat remains Saudi Arabia. According to him, Sudan exports between two to three million live sheep per annum to the country, which sees its peak during pilgrimage period with one million sheep.
Apart from live animals, Sudan also exports fresh meat to these countries. “[Industry players know that] Sudanese meat is the best in the world as it is free from hormones and poison,” says Omer. Sudan’s natural grazing areas and its traditionally anchored resistance in utilising man-made chemical additives such as hormones in animal feeds, together with prompt animal health care, have resulted in healthy natural animal products and an area free of serious animal diseases. Omer even goes as far as to claim that meat from his country is “possibly the best meat one could ever export anywhere in the world.”
The best has yet to come: all meat is Halal in Sudan. “Halal is the norm in this country. Every abattoir and butcher is Halal. Non-Halal? Practically nonexistent!” he says. Sudan, one of the world’s two Islamic countries together with Iran, is fully run according to Islamic law. To question the halalness of meat and products in Sudan is simply questioning the obvious. Omer explains that Saudi Arabia –Sudan’s biggest meat importer – has never requested a Halal certification from the country. “There is no need to do so. Everything is 100 per cent Halal.” According to him, there are no other ways to slaughter animals in Sudan, except the Halal way. “[Too bad] if you are looking for non-Halal meat because we do not know how to do it,” he jokes.
Sudan has currently three state-of-the-art abattoirs with a daily slaughtering capacity of 2,500 sheep and 500 cattle situated in capital Khartoum and in the far west of the country. With its behemoth capacity, eyeing for a bigger portion of the Halal market pie is only normal for Sudan. “When you think of exporting your meat to other countries, you have to bear Indonesia in mind,” says Omer. After all, it is a gigantic market with 250 million Muslims that we are talking about.
So, what does Sudan need now to spread its wings to South East Asia? “We need investors,” he says. But Omer reiterates the profile of investors that his country is looking for. “Our abattoirs are fairly modern but there are still room for improvements – especially when we are eyeing a rather expansive international market [such as Indonesia].” Omer’s wish is simple – to see more investors with knowledge and savoir-faire coming to Sudan. “Not just coming and putting in facilities and off again.” Any taker?
**This article was first published in The Halal Journal Mar/Apr 2005 edition, and was written by Remi Yahya-Ishmael.
