Hester to Set up Animal Vaccine Plant in Tanzania

Animal vaccine maker, Hester Biosciences Ltd, is planning to set up an animal vaccine manufacturing unit in Tanzania to cater to the African market.

The project, which will cost about $18-mn, will have a capacity to produce 1.5 billion doses of vaccines every year. Estimated revenue from the project is $30-mn per year at full capacity. Hester will have equity share capital of $4-mn, while it has received secured loan and grants commitment worth $14-mn from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, US.

According to Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, Managing Director, Hester Biosciences, there is big potential for animal vaccine business in Africa as 80 per cent of the vaccines required in the African market are

imported. “The project would mainly manufacture vaccines against Africa-specific diseases, besides having the capability as well as the capacity to manufacture a bigger range of vaccines against other commonly occurring animal diseases,” Mr. Gandhi said.

The construction of the unit is scheduled to be completed by January 2020, while the first commercial batch will be produced by November 2020.