ICAR-NRC on Mithun celebrates 37th foundation day

DIMAPUR — The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Research Centre (NRC) on Mithun at Medziphema celebrated its 37th foundation day on October 15.

It was attended by Gabriel D Wangsu, Minister of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary, Dairy Development, Fisheries, Food and Civil Supplies, government of Arunachal Pradesh, as the chief guest. 

Dr. Dheer Singh, director, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, was the special guest, while Hage Tari, secretary, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Dairy Development (AHV&DD), government of Arunachal Pradesh, attended as the guest of honour.

Dr. Rajan Sharma, joint director (research), ICAR-NDRI, was also present.

As part of the celebrations, a one-day regional workshop on the "Development of the dairy sector in northeast India with special reference to Mithun (Bos frontalis)" was organised.

The workshop saw participation from 50 dairy farmers from Kohima and Dimapur, who were provided with input materials to promote dairy farming, supported by the NEH Fund of ICAR-NDRI, Karnal.

An interactive session was also held, chaired by the Wangsu, with senior officials of AHV&DD, the government of Arunachal Pradesh, and scientists from NRC Mithun.

The focus of the session was the roadmap for Mithun sector development in Arunachal Pradesh, culminating in the release of the policy paper, "Roadmap for the Development of Mithun Sector in Arunachal Pradesh," by the chief guest. Dr. Girish Patil S, director of NRC Mithun, provided a detailed overview of the policy paper and highlighted key deliberations.

Speaking at the event, Wangsu said that Mithun, a gentle giant, is a living indicator of environmental quality. He stated that where Mithun thrives, the natural environment is in its best condition.

He emphasised the importance of revitalising the Mithun sector in Arunachal Pradesh through the adoption of scientific practices such as semi-intensive rearing. He urged the scientific community to develop Mithun meat adulteration detection kits for quality control.

During the foundation day celebrations, Dr. Girish provided an overview of the institute's significant achievements over the past year, including the submission of the Nagami Mithun breed registration, the development of an AI-based parasite detection tool, the launch of the m-Anitra app, and Mithun stress studies.