Pakistan plans to establish foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine manufacturing facilities within one year and to export meat to Türkiye once an FMD-free zone project is completed, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain has said.

The minister set out the plan in Ankara on 10 November 2026, during a meeting with Türkiye's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı. The two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in livestock development, disease control, vaccine manufacturing and meat exports.

Two projects, one in Punjab and one federal

Rana Tanveer told his Turkish counterpart that, on the prime minister's directives, Pakistan was pursuing the establishment of FMD vaccine manufacturing facilities within one year. He said two projects were being undertaken for this purpose, one by the Punjab government and the other at the federal level.

He also expressed Pakistan's intention to export meat to Türkiye after successfully completing the FMD-free zone project, which would show that animals in the zone are free of the disease and meet the health standards importing countries require.

Building on earlier talks

The Ankara meeting follows an earlier discussion in Islamabad on 4 November, when Rana Tanveer met Türkiye's ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Irfan Neziroglu. At that meeting, livestock development and domestic production of FMD vaccine were also identified as major priorities, and the Turkish ambassador confirmed that a Turkish technical delegation would visit Pakistan to explore avenues for collaboration.

Foot-and-mouth disease remains a major animal health concern for Pakistan's livestock sector. It affects the productivity of cattle and other cloven-hoofed animals and creates challenges for international livestock and meat trade, because importing countries require proof that meat comes from disease-free animals and zones.

Improved animal health standards and domestic vaccine production would therefore help Pakistan expand its livestock and meat export potential, with Türkiye identified as a target market. The ministers also discussed agricultural training and value-added food exports as part of the wider cooperation between the two countries.