Nepal Exports 36.56 Million Doses of Animal Vaccine to Bangladesh and African Nations

The private sector of Nepal exports animal vaccines to Bangladesh and four African countries. In the last fiscal year (FY 2023/24), Nepal exported 36.56 million doses of the PPR (Peste des Petits Ruminants) vaccine, valued at Rs 182.9 million to Bangladesh, Sudan, Kenya, Mauritania, and the Republic of Chad.

According to data from the Department of Customs, Bangladesh was the largest recipient, with 22,507,600 doses sent to the neighbouring country. Additionally, 7 million doses were exported to Mauritania, 5.1 million to Sudan, 1.15 million to Kenya, and 833,400 doses to Chad.

The PPR vaccine, primarily used to control and prevent epidemics in sheep and goats, is produced in Nepal by the private company Hester Biosciences Nepal. This company is part of the Golcha Group and operates as a joint venture with India’s Hester Biosciences Limited and Him Electronics Pvt Ltd. The vaccines are provided free of charge within Nepal, but due to high production costs in Bangladesh and the African nations, these countries import the vaccine from Nepal.

Chandra Dhakal, a senior livestock development officer at the Department of Livestock Services, confirmed that while the government provides the PPR vaccine for free domestically, the private sector benefits from exporting it abroad.

The government-owned National Vaccine Production Laboratory also produces PPR vaccines, but these are exclusively for domestic use and are not exported. According to Manish Man Shrestha, an information officer at the laboratory, the lab produced 13 million doses of such vaccines in FY 2023/24, an increase from 8 million the previous year. The laboratory also produces other vaccines, which are distributed by private sector vendors, though the sale and distribution of PPR vaccines through these vendors are prohibited.

Despite the export of animal vaccines by the private sector, Nepal still imports vaccines from other countries. Last year, Nepal imported 1,342,733 doses of vaccines worth Rs 648.02 million from Bangladesh, China, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and others. These imports include vaccines for conditions such as lumpy skin disease and swine fever. Although Nepal produces a significant amount of animal vaccines domestically, the need for certain vaccines still necessitates imports.