View of the ICAR-NRCM, Medziphema office building. (File Photo)
Medziphema, June 2 (MExN): ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun (ICAR-NRCM), Medziphema, Nagaland celebrated its 32nd Foundation Day on June 2. ICAR-NRCM is a pioneer in mithun research not only in the country but across the globe.
Established in 1988, the institute has consistently worked to ensure systematic research and training in tribal areas of Northeast India, bring uniformity in feeding and breeding standards of mithun, popularise meat and milk of mithun and attain excellence in mithun conservation and the healthcare system.
Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR Dr Trilochan Mohapatra the chief guest during the occassion joined from New Delhi via video conferencing. He inaugurated the new website of ICAR-NRCM and state-wide painting and drawing competition for school children of Nagaland.
He praised the efforts of the ICAR-NRCM in deciphering the origin of mithun by next-generation sequencing, attaining a high success rate of artificial insemination in mithun, and providing regular training to mithun farmers. He also stressed to explore and utilize the latest technologies like microchip and GPS tracker to ensure traceability. He spoke of the need for mithun breeding policy, selection of mithun bulls, extended use of embryo transfer technique in mithun, and popularization of mithun meat and milk.
The guest of honour, Dr Kamal Malla Bujarbaruah, Former Vice-Chancellor, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat and Deputy Director General (Animal Science), ICAR while delivering the Foundation Day lecture via video conferencing took a moment to compliment ICAR-NRCM in handling the various issues pertaining to research and extension. Dr Bujarbaruah, who also served this institute as the Director, praised the hard work of the entire ICAR-NRCM family for the success and progress of the institute in the present research scenario. He underlined the fact that mithun has a remarkable ability to thrive in forests without being susceptible to a wide range of pathogens and parasites. He urged to take up future research on rumen microbiome, mithun genomics, improving germplasm, and multiplying the same through assisted reproductive technology.
Dr Bhupendra Nath Tripathi, Deputy Director General (Animal Science), ICAR and also the Guest of Honour appreciated the success of ICAR-NRCM and how in 32 years, a huge proportion of the tribal population of northeast India has been benefitted from this institute, especially mithun farmers. He said the institute has played a notable role in increasing the population of mithun and its conservation. Dr. Tripathi urged to focus on the impact of diseases and finding out the risk and causal factors that have led to a decline in the mithun population in Nagaland.
Dr Abhijit Mitra, Director of ICAR-NRCM, welcomed all the dignitaries and highlighted the achievements of the institute over the last 32 years.
On this occasion, the Directors of several Animal Science institutes of ICAR namely, IVRI, Izatnagar, NIANP, Bengaluru, NISHAD, Bhopal, scientists, staff members of several KVKs and farmers from all the mithun rearing states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland participated online in the program.
