Mohammadi told reporters that the institute meets the entire needs of the country in livestock vaccine, 80 percent of the vaccines for poultry and 85 percent of the vaccine for human beings. Annually 2.7 billion doses of vaccines, serums and antigens are produced at the institute, he added.

Mohammadi said the institute exports its products to 21 countries. More than dlrs one million worth of foreign orders were placed with the institute last year. However, since the institute's priority is to meet domestic needs, its exports stood at only dlrs 200,000, he added.

He further stated that about 30 percent of vaccines produced at the institute had been dispatched free of charge to Afghanistan, Kenya, Albania, Azerbaijan and Tanzania last year.

The institute's products showed 42 percent growth in weight and 105 percent in value in the first half of the current Iranian year (started March 21) compared to the corresponding period the year before, said Mohammadi. He added that the value of the products rose to rls 26 billion from rls 13 billion in the one-year period.

Mohammadi said dlrs five million is allocated every year for the institute. However, he added, due to the lack of need for this amount, the cash has not been fully absorbed. The institute spent dlrs 1.2 million last year on primary materials and rls 1.5 million on import of required products and instruments, he added.

The institute produced vaccines for such diseases as mumps, Newcastle disease and bird flu over recent years.