News From : DagangHalal.com (12 Oct 2010)
South Iceland meat processing company Slaturfelag Sudurlands (SS) ceased slaughtering lambs in the Islamic fashion yesterday. CEO of SS Steinthor Skulason said the decision is mainly based on the reactions of customers after the company’s practices were reported on.
Skulason said SS wishes to respect the opinion of its customers and that the cost of employing a member of the Islamic Association of Iceland to conduct halal slaughtering is also a factor because the sale of halal meat has yet to be guaranteed, ruv.is reports.
Yesterday, representatives from SS met with potential buyers from Iraqi Kurdistan who were going to taste the meat. Negotiations have also begun with potential buyers in Jordan. If agreements are reached, SS will reconsider its decision on halal slaughtering.
In the last production season, which ended in August, almost 3,000 tons of lamb and mutton were exported from Iceland, which is 30 percent of the country’s overall production. It is believed that a better price can be obtained for halal meat, which is why this experiment was conducted.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Olafur Fridriksson said the government doesn’t provide any special support regarding the export of meat but farmers do get certain payments from the state regardless of whether the meat they produce is exported or not
– Halal Focus