Stakeholders attend workshop on formulation of bankable Mithun project

Medziphema, November 1 (MExN): Mithun is traditionally reared under a free-range forest ecosystem with almost zero input and they are left to the mercy of mother nature. However, such system is not only less remunerative but does not allow any scientific intervention in terms of management, breeding, nutrition and disease control.  

Considering the significance of scientific mithun farming as an alternative means of livelihood to the resource-poor farmers of the North-Eastern hilly region, mithun farming has been included in National Livestock Mission. However, the implementation has been impeded due to lack of bankable scheme for mithun farming.  

In order to address the issue, ICAR-NRC on Mithun organized one-day stakeholders workshop on ‘Finalization of techno-economic parameters for developing bankable formulation of Bankable Mithun Project’ in its Medziphema campus on Octber 31, stated a press release received here.  

More than thirty people including policy makers, veterinary officers, KVK personnel, farm managers, Scientists, NGOs and banking institutions from the mithun rearing states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur participated in the workshop. While finalizing the techno-economic parameters, Dr. S. Pan, Senior Professor of West Bengal Veterinary University, Kolkata, who is an expert in developing such schemes for other livestock species, emphasized that success of any bankable scheme will depend on the consensus on the techno-economic parameters by the stakeholders and asked the opinion of the stakeholders on techno-economic parameters so a technically feasible and economically viable scheme can be developed.  

M.K Mero, Commissioner and Secretary, Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, Govt of Nagaland, who is one of the strong proponent of bankable scheme, highlighted the efforts of the state government and emphasized that a draft scheme should be made available before December 2017 so that it can be placed before the SLBC for its finalization. Mero assured full cooperation of his department towards the development of mithun farming in the state and urged the financial institutions to come forward to support the same for promoting free-range mithun rearing in all the Northeast states.  

SK. Dhumal, GM, NABARD while deliberating on the bankability of the scheme emphasized the need for the provision of sufficient security in the form of joint liability group and other collaterals. Dr. N.D. Minto, Director, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, Government of Arunachal Pradesh emphasized the need for a model bankable scheme for mithun farming to improve the economic livelihood of the mithun keepers.  

Dr. Abhijit Mitra in his opening remark stated that mithun is having huge potentials to support the economic livelihood of the farmers wherein its other capabilities like milk, hide and draught in addition to meat need to be explored. He further emphasized that mithun is the only livestock species which also has synergy in the conservation of the forest.  

Dr Jikon Panor, DVO, Pasighat and Dr Taba Heli, Managing Director of Arunachal Pradesh, Dr Hokheto Kiba, Project Director, NLDP, Nagaland, Dr Dr A. Devendra Singh, DVO Thoubal of Manipur state , Miss Shiroi Shaiza and Chikhosale of Enterpreneur Associates, Rutho Nyuwi of NEIDA were also actively participatedt in the meeting.