Virtual interface workshop on promoting and branding mithun

Dimapur, June 22 (EMN): ICAR-NRC on Mithun, Medziphema on Monday organised a virtual interface workshop on “Promoting and Branding Mithun,” in collaboration with the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) of the Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI) of zone-VI and VII.

The workshop was conducted to promote scientific mithun husbandry as an entrepreneurial activity to economically uplift the tribal population through the integration of scientific mithun husbandry and its diversified use in terms of value addition of mithun meat, milk, draught-power and hide.

During the last 32 years, the institute, the only research organisation in the world, while exclusively working for the continual improvement of the species has not only generated invaluable scientific data towards the understanding of the unique species but also developed several packages of practices and technologies, stated an update from ICAR-NRCM.

A brief presentation was made by the scientists of the institute highlighting various technologies and packages of practices namely semi-intensive system of rearing mithun mineral blocks, areas specific mineral mixture (µthimin), portable mineral block dispenser, milking in mithun and its value addition.

During the deliberations, Dr. Bidyut C Deka, director of ICAR-ATARI zone-VII, and Dr. Anil K Tripathi, director of zone-VI, extended their support to promote and brand mithun husbandry as an entrepreneurial activity and implored upon the institute to identify some KVKs from each mithun rearing state that will serve as a base for trial and dissemination of various technologies.

Dr. Bhupendra Nath Tripathi, deputy director general (Animal Science), ICAR lauded the semi-intensive system of mithun rearing, calling it a ‘game-changer’ and stressed on educating the farmers about the benefits of the alternative system following which various other technologies can be integrated into this system of mithun rearing.

Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh, deputy director general (Agricultural Extension), ICAR, in his concluding remarks, emphasised on the need to identify technology service sectors which can be taken up by KVKs on a mass scale and imparting skill training to the rural youths, farmers and other stakeholders to promote mithun as an entrepreneurial activity.

He urged to develop a basket of technologies that can easily be understood by the farmers and ready for commercialisation, it read.

A total of 26 KVKs from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, directors of ICAR institutes, experts, and scientists of national repute, scientific faculty, and staff of ICAR-NRCM Mithun participated in the workshop through video conferencing.