BOA-SIMLA, Mar 24: Altogether 350 mithun farmers from different villages of Boa-Simla circle benefited from a two-day ‘Mithun mela-cum-mithun health camp’ jointly organized by the Arunachal Mithun & Yak Conservation Mission of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary & Dairy Development (AHV&DD) and the Nagaland-based National Research Center (ICAK) from 22 March.
Thirty-eight mithuns were also treated by veterinarians during the mela, while 76 mithuns were vaccinated against foot & mouth disease. They were also implanted with microchips to address mithun ownership disputes.
On the inaugural day of the programme, AHV&DD Parliamentary Secretary Tamar Murtem advised the participants to avail the benefits of the programme,and urged his department and the National Research Centre (NRC) Mithun of the ICAR to hold more such programmes for effective transfer of technology to the mithun farmers in the state.
Stressing the need to preserve superior mithun bulls for improving the quality of the mithun population, AHV&DD Director Dr ND Minto urged the mithun farmers to get their mithuns vaccinated againstvarious diseases.
The department also showcased different technologies through exhibition stalls, which included feed and fodder, disease diagnosis laboratory, value addition of mithun horns, etc.
An interaction programme between the farmers and scientists was also held, during which issues raised by the mithun farmers were addressed by the scientists from NRC Mithun and veterinarians from the state.
Raga Range Forest Officer Tao Bunti informed theparticipants about his department’s provision of Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 per mithun in case of mithun loss,and explained how to avail it.
Earlier, Soub-Luth Committee chairman Song Tajam gave an overview of the dwindling habitat area ofmithuns, and submitted a memorandum to the parliamentary secretary, seeking provision of at least two community mithun conservation centres.
