ICAR, farmers discuss ways to develop mithun industry

Dimapur, Feb. 8 (EMN): A meeting to discuss “semi-intensive” Mithun rearing units established as part of a ‘tribal sub-plan’ was conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Research Centre on Mithun, on February 6 and the 7th at Medziphema in Dimapur.

A press release from the organisers on Saturday stated that the meeting was to have “interfacing” among mithun farmers from different states, officials, and other stakeholders ‘to find a way forward.’

‘The mithun, though completely domesticated, are traditionally reared in free-range forest ecosystems where animals are let loose in the forest and they survive at the sole mercy of nature by grazing on natural vegetation,’ the press release explained.

“Such a traditional system of rearing does not allow the implementation of any scientific interventions and farmers often incur losses due to the death of animals, particularly young ones, by the attack of predatory animals.”

The institution has taken an initiative to ‘popularise the alternative package of practices of semi-intensive mithun rearing’ stated to have been developed by the institute in the region. During the past five years, the institute has distributed input materials to mithun farmers in the Northeast region as part of the tribal sub-plan programme for adopting ‘semi-intensive’ rearing of the mithun, the press release stated.

In the morning, the participants visited the institute's Mithun farm to see regular farm activities such as milking, and semen collection from bulls using electro-ejaculation machines, artificial insemination, animal identification techniques, and feeding practices among other activities, the updates stated.

A day-long interactive session, in the conference hall, followed. Farmers also gave ‘poster presentations’ and apprised the gathering about their experience, the press release stated. Officials from the institute and the participants exchanged their views concerning the way forward to the development of mithun husbandry practices.

The director of the institute, Dr. Abhijit Mitra, talked about the advantages of “semi-intensive” mithun rearing and urged the farmers to implement scientific knowledge in their field, the updates stated.