Guwahati
There’s a call from both scientists and tribal farmers from the Northeast to bring the semi-domesticated bovine species Mithun, which is the State animal of both Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, under the ambit of key central sector schemes like the National Livestock Mission (NLM).
The Director of ICAR–National Research Centre on Mithun, Nagaland Dr S Girish Patil has recently written to Union Animal Husbandry and Dairying Secretary Alka Upadhyaya, pointing to Mithun’s exclusion from NLM, as per news agency PTI. The ICAR-NRCM is a premier institution under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
THE MITHUN FACTOR
- The animal is deeply integrated into the lives of tribal communities in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and, more recently, parts of Assam.
- India currently has 3.9 lakh Mithun, according to the 2019 livestock Census, with 95 per cent of the global population found within the country.
- Arunachal Pradesh alone accounts for 91 per cent of India’s Mithun count.
- It is not only a source of high-quality meat and milk, but also plays a key role in the food security and socio-cultural fabric of the region.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India notified mithun as a food animal with effect from September 1, 2024.
- Mithun has also been listed in the domestic animal diversity information system maintained by the Food and Agriculture Organisation in Rome.
Patil pointed out that despite these factors, Mithun remains outside the NLM framework and that its inclusion would help drive focused research on breeding, feeding, health, and value addition, while also creating livelihood opportunities for farmers operating in challenging and remote geographies.
The ICAR-NRCM is ready to provide the necessary documentation and support required for the animal’s inclusion in the scheme, the agency quoted him as stating.
For its part, the Jomlo Mongku Mithun Farmer Federation from Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh also raised the issue, calling for the intervention of Arunachal MPs Kiren Rijiju and Tapir Gao. Federation chairman Tadang Tamut expressed concern that the Mithun population is shrinking due to indiscriminate slaughter and unscientific farming practices.
While he argued that exclusion from Central schemes has left Mithun farmers without access to scientific infrastructure, financial support, and sustainable management tools, he emphasised that Mithun is more than just a livestock animal as it represents cultural pride and is a lifeline for thousands of tribal families.
Including Mithun in schemes like the NLM, he said, would not only encourage scientific rearing and conservation, but also increase its market value, thereby improving tribal incomes and boosting rural economies in the northeast.
He also pointed out that the significance of mithun has already been recognised at national and international levels.
