Pakistan, Türkiye to cooperate on FMD control, vaccines

November 10, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan and Türkiye have agreed to deepen cooperation in the livestock sector, with a focus on Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) control, vaccine manufacturing, livestock development and meat exports. Both sides agreed to pursue these areas on a mutually beneficial basis.

The understanding was reached at a meeting between Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Türkiye’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı, said a press release issued.

Rana Tanveer thanked his Turkish counterpart for the invitation to the event and appreciated the arrangements. He said the Prime Minister of Pakistan attaches great importance to Türkiye’s support, describing it as a brotherly country with considerable expertise in livestock.

The federal minister recalled an earlier meeting with the Turkish minister in Berlin, where he had proposed that a Turkish delegation visit Pakistan to explore livestock cooperation.

Türkiye responded promptly by sending its Director General of Livestock with a delegation, for which he expressed gratitude.

Pakistan subsequently sent a delegation of technical livestock experts to Türkiye, which visited livestock facilities, farms, slaughterhouses and public and private sector vaccine manufacturing plants to study the country’s experience, infrastructure and technical capabilities.

The delegation submitted its findings to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, and its key observations were presented to the Prime Minister for consideration and further action.

Rana Tanveer told the Turkish minister that, on the Prime Minister’s directives, Pakistan is working to set up FMD vaccine manufacturing facilities within one year.

Two projects are under way for this purpose, one by the Punjab government and the other at the federal level. He added that Pakistan intends to export meat to Türkiye once the FMD-free zone project is successfully completed.

He said Pakistan values Türkiye’s technical expertise and wants to benefit from its experience in livestock development, disease control and vaccine production. He expressed confidence that closer cooperation would strengthen Pakistan’s livestock sector and open new avenues for agricultural trade between the two countries.

At the end of the meeting, Rana Tanveer presented a commemorative shield to the Turkish minister as a gesture of goodwill and friendship

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