Guwahati: A high level meeting was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Atul Bora, Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry ,Veterinary etc. for sustainable ‘Mithun’ production in Assam with special reference to Dima Hasao district. In his initial remark he expressed that ‘Mithun’ is a special animal found in North East and its presence in Dima Hasao and adjoining area from a long time.
Monjit Naiding, Executive Member of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary (Hills), Dima Hasao, highlighted that ‘Mithun’ husbandry has a long-standing history in the region. He praised the efforts of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the state department for rediscovering this population. He emphasized ‘Mithun’s potential in promoting eco-tourism in the area and discussed the initiatives of the Dima Hasao Autonomous Council to further develop the ‘Mithun’ sector in the region. Dr. K.K. Baruah, Governing Body Member of ICAR, elaborated on the initiatives taken by ICAR – NRC on ‘Mithun’, Nagaland, in collaboration with the agriculture and animal husbandry sectors in Northeast India, with a particular focus on Dima Hasao, Assam.
Dr. Girish Patil, Director of ICAR – NRC on ‘Mithun’, Nagaland, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the roadmap for developing and establishing the Mithun sector in Assam. His presentation included an overview of the ‘Mithun’ sector in Northeast India and outlined future initiatives for ‘Mithun’ development in Assam. He committed to providing all possible inputs for the establishment of the ‘Mithun’ sector in Dima Hasao and thanked the state department for its support in discovering the Mithun population. Dr. Patil also emphasized the importance of including ‘Mithun’ in the ongoing Assam Livestock Census and proposed the creation of a Joint Working Group with defined roles to efficiently develop the ‘Mithun’ sector.
Later, Manish Thakur, Principal Secretary to the Government highlighted several priorities for the department, including ‘Mithun’ vaccination, eco-tourism, milk production, the medicinal value of ‘Mithun’ meat, organic farming practices, and online trading opportunities.
In his closing remarks, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora praised the insightful discussions and urged officials to conduct a thorough study of ‘Mithun’ in Dima Hasao. He instructed them to prepare a detailed action plan and reconvene for further deliberation and assured full support in the development of ‘Mithun’ in Assam. He also recommended the establishment of a core committee dedicated to the development of the ‘Mithun’ sector in Dima Hasao, Assam. The meeting concluded on a positive note, stated a press release.
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