Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced plans to establish a national-level facility using domestic resources to manufacture modern, effective vaccines for livestock.
Chairing a meeting on reforms in the livestock sector, he directed the relevant authorities to prepare a strategy within a week for setting up the facility at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC).
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the meeting was informed that vaccines currently available for livestock in Pakistan lacked approval from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
The government is therefore pursuing local production of purified vaccines to address the sector’s needs.
Shehbaz called for restructuring the Livestock and Dairy Development Board (LDDB), established in 2007 to improve livestock breeding, boost milk and meat output, and support industry development.
He directed officials to prepare a restructuring plan promptly and incorporate private-sector specialists to strengthen the board’s performance.
The PM further instructed authorities to facilitate value addition for imported livestock kept in special bonded warehouses, enabling the production and export of meat and dairy products.
He stressed that the private sector should play a leading role in expanding the livestock industry.
Officials briefed the meeting on ongoing reforms aimed at increasing exports from the sector. They said third-party inspections of slaughterhouses had begun, while work was also underway to establish special bonded warehouses for imported livestock.