A Nagami Mithun breed is seen in this handout photo provided by ICAR-NCRM.
Medziphema, December 21 (MExN): The ICAR–National Research Centre on Mithun (NRCM), Medziphema, has registered ‘Nagami’ as the world’s first recognised Mithun (Bos frontalis) breed with the ICAR–National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal.
According to a press release issued by the centre, the registration marks the culmination of several years of systematic scientific investigation, documentation, and validation undertaken by the institute.
The application for breed registration was submitted by the centre under the leadership of its Director, Dr Girish S. Patil, the release stated.
The breed characterisation project was led by Dr Harshit Kumar, Scientist at the centre, who carried out the scientific studies required to establish Nagami as a distinct and validated breed.
As per the release, Mithun, the state animal of Nagaland, holds significant socio-cultural, economic, and traditional importance for the tribal communities of the state.
However, despite its importance, Mithun populations had remained largely uncharacterised at the breed level, which limited efforts towards scientific conservation, genetic improvement, and targeted policy support.
Recognising this gap, the NRCM initiated comprehensive breed characterisation studies to establish a clear and scientifically validated identity for Mithun populations in Nagaland, it added.
