DIMAPUR, Sep 27: Mithun farming is not yet bankable, and as result the mithun farmers are deprived of reaping the advantages of the government schemes, including the National Livestock Mission launched by the government of India, said the National Research Centre on Mithun (NRCM) here in Nagaland in a press statement, following a workshop on ‘Finalization of bankable mithun farming’ on Sunday.
The workshop was a sequel to the ‘stakeholder workshop for finalizing the techno-economic parameters for developing a bankable scheme for mithun farming’ held during 2018-19.
Mithun is a unique bio-resource of the hilly states of the Northeast and serves as a means of livelihood security of lakhs of mithun farmers, it said, adding that the NRCM has been constantly trying to address this issue with the banking and credit institutions.
The programme saw the participation of representatives of the NABARD, state level banking committees and the veterinary & animal husbandry department of the mithun-rearing states of Arunachal, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.
NRCM Director Dr Abhijit Mitra spoke about the “present mithun production system and ways forward for its improvement with scientific inputs.” He emphasized the need for “developing bankable mithun farming, as mithun is already covered under the National Livestock Mission.”
Dr Mitra urged the financing institutions to “come forward, considering the unique production system of mithun supporting the economic livelihood of many farmers in the region.”
Prof S Pan presented a bankable mithun scheme, elaborating the financial implications, technical feasibility, and economic viability.
Issues such as the length of the scheme period, interest moratorium, possibilities of credit subsidy, and diversification were deliberated in order to make mithun rearing a bankable option.
It was agreed that, after incorporating the suggestions and technical inputs given during the workshop, a revised bankable scheme would be submitted to the NABARD.
