Pakistan to Produce FMD Vaccines Within a Year
Pakistan will start producing FMD vaccines at home within a year, under a new understanding with Turkiye that also opens the way for meat exports to Ankara. The plan was agreed at a meeting in Ankara between Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Turkiye’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli.
Pakistan is pursuing two manufacturing projects to meet the one-year target. One is being run by the government of Punjab and the other at the federal level, Hussain told his Turkish counterpart. The work follows direct instructions from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to build domestic vaccine capacity.
FMD vaccines: two projects to start production
The two sides agreed to deepen cooperation across the livestock sector, with FMD control and vaccine manufacturing at the centre. They also agreed to work together on livestock development and meat exports, The Express Tribune reported. Sub News, reporting from Ankara, confirmed the one-year target and the two projects.
Hussain said Pakistan wanted to draw on Turkiye’s experience in livestock development, disease control and vaccine production. He voiced confidence that closer cooperation would strengthen Pakistan’s livestock sector and open new avenues for agricultural trade.
The understanding builds on an earlier round of talks in Islamabad on November 4. At that meeting, Turkiye’s ambassador Dr Irfan Neziroglu told Hussain that a Turkish technical team would visit Pakistan to explore cooperation. Turkiye has already agreed to help Pakistan build domestic FMD vaccine capacity, and the two sides also agreed a training programme for 100 Pakistani participants, with an initial group of about 30 to travel first.
Meat exports to Turkiye after disease-free zone
Meat exports form the second half of the plan. Hussain told the Turkish minister that Pakistan intended to export meat to Turkiye once it completed its FMD-free zone project. Importing countries only accept meat from herds, zones or compartments certified free of the disease, so completing the zone is the step that opens the trade.
The export push has a ready base. Punjab’s animal exports jumped 43 per cent as farmers eyed earnings of Rs11 billion, and the province has a plan to export one million animals. A disease-free zone would let those animals reach higher-value markets that are closed today.
The timing also suits the wider food trade. Pakistan’s food exports surged 25 per cent in July-September on strong rice shipments, which shows buyers are already taking more Pakistani produce. Meat would add a second growth line to that trade.
Why FMD vaccines matter for Pakistan
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats. It cuts milk and meat output, and it blocks exports because buyers demand proof that animals come from disease-free herds or zones.
That barrier sits at the heart of the problem for Pakistan. The country’s Trade Development Authority says exports have been constrained by the prevalence of foot-and-mouth disease, weak animal traceability, fragmented supply chains and the inability of some processors to meet international food-safety and quality requirements.
Home-grown vaccines would attack the problem at its root. Local production would cut reliance on imports, bring down the cost of vaccination drives and let the government cover more animals. A vaccinated national herd is also the fastest route to the disease-free certification that export markets require.
For livestock farmers, the payoff is direct. Healthier animals give more milk and meat, and access to Turkiye and other foreign markets would lift the prices they receive. For the economy, meat exports would add a new source of foreign exchange alongside rice, textiles and remittances.
Frequently asked questions
When will Pakistan start producing FMD vaccines?
Pakistan plans to establish FMD vaccine manufacturing facilities within one year. Two projects are under way, one run by the Punjab government and the other at the federal level.
Who agreed the plan with Pakistan?
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain agreed the plan with Turkiye’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli at a meeting in Ankara.
What is foot-and-mouth disease?
It is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats. It cuts milk and meat output and blocks exports, because buyers require proof that animals come from disease-free herds or zones.
Will Pakistan export meat to Turkiye?
Pakistan intends to export meat to Turkiye after it completes its FMD-free zone project. The zone would certify that the meat comes from animals free of the disease.
What did the earlier round of talks agree?
At a meeting in Islamabad on November 4, Turkiye agreed to send a technical delegation to Pakistan and to train 100 Pakistani participants, with an initial group of about 30 travelling first.
