Africa-Press – Botswana. The renewed agreement between Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) and Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health (BIAH) marks a critical step toward the diversification of BVI’s product portfolio in alignment with the broader national agenda for economic diversification.
Acting minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti made this assertion during a press briefing recently to announce details of the new partnership between the two, following the expiration of the previous agreement on January 31. He said the expanded focus would enable BVI to not only continue its production of FMD vaccines, but also broaden its offerings to include finished product distribution, bulk filling, blending and other innovative services.
“This diversification will play an integral role in driving revenue growth, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing over-reliance on a limited number of products. While FMD vaccines have historically been the primary revenue earner for BVI, the inclusion of new products under this agreement will position BVI for greater financial sustainability in the process ensuring that Botswana’s agricultural sector becomes more resilient, dynamic, and competitive on the global stage,” he said.
Dr Dikoloti said to grow its market share on vaccine production, BVI planned to establish additional strategic production sites in East and West Africa. He said the expansion would be key to enhancing its regional influence, particularly in East African countries such as Burundi, The Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda with an estimated livestock population of 192.1 million.
Dr Dikoloti said in line with Botswana’s vision to transition into a knowledge-driven economy, the renewed partnership would play a pivotal role in establishing Botswana as a regional hub for excellence in animal health.
“The collaboration will focus on the creation of a state-of-the-art centre of excellence for animal vaccine research and development in Africa. This centre will not only advance scientific innovation, but will also position Botswana at the forefront of cutting-edge research in the animal health sector,” he added.
He said through the collaboration, BVI would retain ownership of the Intellectual Property in any new developments that came from research and development efforts, which he said was an important step in empowering Botswana to build its own knowledge economy, fostering local expertise and creating long-term value from research and innovation, not just for the benefit of Botswana, but for the entire Africa.
For his part, BVI board member, Dr Michael Sento said the partnership was focused on building a future of sustainable value for Batswana and the livestock industry in the country. He said for the past 45 years, the cooperation was rooted on mutual respect and a shared vision that signified something greater than just a business agreement.
“It extends to economic benefit of citizens of this country, especially that the majority that keep cattle eventually sell to BMC. BMC exports beef to EU and other international markets because the country meets stringent market requirements that include disease control, where BVI plays a critical role, especially in the control of FMD through the supply of vaccines,” he said.
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