Manipur Farmers Learn Scientific Mithun Breeding and Health Care

Mithun farmers in Manipur are being introduced to scientific breeding, health management and better husbandry practices as part of an ICAR programme aimed at improving the productivity and conservation of the animal.

The ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun conducted a three-day field programme from August 10 to 12 in Kamjong and Tengnoupal districts. The programme was organised with the ICAR Research Complex for the North Eastern Hill Region and Manipur’s Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services.

Farmers learn better breeding and health practices

The programme focused on practical aspects of mithun management, including scientific breeding, animal health, husbandry and conservation.

A breeding-cum-health camp was held at Louphong village in Kamjong district on August 10. Fifty-five mithun farmers attended the camp, where they received guidance on managing their animals and improving breeding practices.

Mithun is mainly associated with the hill regions of Northeast India. It plays an important role in the livelihoods and traditional practices of several communities in the region.

For farmers, improving animal health can directly affect the value of their livestock. Healthy animals are more likely to maintain good growth and reproductive performance, while timely veterinary care can reduce losses from preventable diseases.

Programme links breeding with conservation

The field programme was conducted under the North Eastern Council-funded NERCORMS initiative. Its wider project aims to establish mithun breeding and conservation centres in Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

The programme combines livestock improvement with conservation. This is important because local animal populations carry genetic traits shaped by the environments where they have been raised over generations.

ICAR has been working to document and conserve indigenous animal genetic resources across India. In August 2026, the ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources registered 16 additional indigenous breeds and other animal populations, taking the total number of registered breeds to 262.

Mithun was not among those newly registered breeds. The latest Manipur programme instead focuses on improving management and conservation of an animal already important to the region.

Better livestock care can support farm incomes

Animal husbandry is an important source of income diversification for rural households. Government data shows that livestock and fisheries have maintained growth of around 5–6% in recent years, while programmes have expanded veterinary services, breeding support and animal health measures.

As of July 2026, 4,019 Mobile Veterinary Units were operating across 29 states and Union Territories. These units had benefited nearly 119.77 lakh farmers and treated about 245.05 lakh animals, according to government data.

For farmers in remote areas, access to veterinary services can be difficult because villages may be far from animal hospitals and clinics. Field-based programmes can help bring technical advice closer to livestock keepers.

Mithun farming also needs practices suited to the animal and its local environment. Advice on breeding, nutrition, disease prevention and herd management needs to reach farmers in the places where the animals are actually raised.

The Manipur programme shows how research centres can work directly with livestock keepers rather than limiting animal husbandry research to laboratories and farms run by institutions.

For mithun farmers, the value of such programmes will depend on continued veterinary support, access to suitable breeding services and follow-up after training.

Better management can help farmers maintain healthier animals while also protecting the genetic characteristics of a livestock resource closely linked to communities in Northeast India.