Press Release

On 22 June 2019, the Ground Breaking ceremony for "the Project Improvement of Foot and Mouth Disease Control" was held at the construction site of FMD Vaccine Production Plant at compound of Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department at Insein Township in Yangon. The said project will be implemented by Department of Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) up to January 31, 20121.

In this ceremony, H.E Dr. Aung Thu, Union Minister of Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, H.E Mr. Ichiro MARUYAMA, Ambassador for Embassy of Japan, Mr. Masayuki KARASAWA, Chief Representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Minister for Agriculture and Livestock from Yangon Regional Government, Permanent Secretary, Director General, Senior Officials from LBVD-MOALI, JICA officials and Representatives from YAMASHITA SEKKEI (as Consultant) and TAKENAKA Corporation (as Contractors) attended.

The Japanese government grants up to One billion four hundred and seventeen million Japanese Yen (JPY1,417,000,000) for new construction of FMD vaccine production plant and its facilities and equip FMD Diagonstic laboratory facilities. The project objective is to improve the Foot-and-Mouth Disease control ability of the National Foot-and-Mouth Disease Laboratory in Yangon by construction of facilities and provision of equipment for FMD vaccine production and FMD diagnosis conducted by the laboratory, thereby contributing to the improved stability of agriculture and livestock production in Myanmar.

The project can provide facilities and equipment to produce FMD vaccine 1,000,000 doses per year by using "Roller bottle Culture Method" and to improve the accuracy of FMD diagnostic testing by following the proper procedure of the Operation, Management and Maintenance method for FMD vaccine production facilities and infrastructure utilization system provided by the said project.

After the project, JICA expect that LBVD can control the frequently suffer from outbreak of FMD in agricultural production and to achieve some impacts as rise income from livestock sales, expansion of export of health livestock, increase in production of milk and meat which should contribute to poverty alleviation for the large account of population in agricultural population in rural areas in Myanmar.