Key Takeaways
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the establishment of a national vaccine plant for livestock.
- The plant will be set up at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) using government resources.
- The move aims to produce modern and effective vaccines not approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the establishment of a national plant to produce modern and effective vaccines for livestock. The decision was made during a high-level meeting on reforms in the livestock sector, held on Monday.
The prime minister directed officials to submit a strategy within a week for setting up the vaccine plant at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC). This move comes in response to the current situation where vaccines available for livestock in Pakistan are not approved by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
Shehbaz also directed the restructuring of the Livestock and Dairy Development Board (LDDB), which was established in 2007 to promote livestock breeding, increase milk and meat production, and develop the sector. He called for private-sector experts to be included in the board to make it a more effective and functional institution.
The prime minister further ordered steps to bring imported livestock held in special bonded warehouses into value-addition processes, with a view to exporting meat and dairy products. He emphasized the need for the private sector to take the lead in developing the livestock industry.
During the meeting, officials were briefed on progress in reforms aimed at increasing livestock-related exports. Third-party audits of slaughterhouses had begun, and measures were being taken to establish special bonded warehouses for imported livestock.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Dr Musadik Masood Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, and Jam Kamal Khan, along with the Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani, and senior officials of relevant institutions.
The prime minister's directive is part of a broader strategy to enhance the livestock sector, improve vaccine availability, and increase exports of meat and dairy products. The establishment of the vaccine plant is expected to provide a significant boost to the sector's sustainability and resilience.
