Nagaland: ICAR officially registers ‘Nagami Mithun’ breed

In a proud moment for Nagaland, the Nagami Mithun breed has been officially registered by the breed registration committee (BRC) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The breed registration certificate for Nagami Mithun was presented by Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan during a ceremony held at A.P. Shinde Hall, NASC Complex, New Delhi on January 14, 2026.
The event was attended by Dr. Mangi Lal Jat (Secretary, DARE & DG, ICAR), Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta (DDG, Animal Sciences, ICAR), Varsha Joshi (Additional Secretary, DAHD), and Dr. N.H. Mohan (Director, ICAR-NBAGR, Karnal).
The certificate was received by Dr. Girish Patil S (Director, ICAR-NRC on Mithun, Nagaland), Dr. Harshit Kumar (Scientist), and the research team. The breed has been registered under accession number INDIA_MITHUN_1400_NAGAMI_08001.
The breed is characterized by a strong and well-built muscular body, predominantly black coat colour with white stockings, though white-patched and piebald patterns are also observed. The discovery and registration resulted from systematic field surveys (2023–2025) in the Kavünhou Community Reserved Forest, Khezhakeno village, Phek district, led by Dr. Gyati Yam, with researchers Vieneite-o Koza and Joynath Pegu.
The work was supported by Nagaland University’s Start-Up Project for Young Faculty (SUPYF) and published in the international journal Kew Bulletin.
Nagami Mithun is distributed across Kohima, Peren, Chümoukedima, Zunheboto, Phek, Tuensang, Kiphire, Noklak, Shamator, Mon, Wokha, Tseminyu, and Longleng districts.
The breed features a strong muscular body, predominantly black coat with white stockings (some white-patched or piebald), inverted triangular face, straight forehead, prominent dorsal ridge, and massive corrugated horns curving upward with pointed tips.
Animals also possess an inverted triangular face with a straight forehead, a prominent dorsal ridge in both sexes, and massive, corrugated horns at the base that curve upward with pointed tips.
Primarily reared for meat and ceremonial purposes, adult males weigh 470–500 kg, while cows yield 184-193 kg of milk over a lactation period of approximately 300 days.
With an estimated population of around 23,000 (2019 census), the breed holds high social, economic, and cultural value among tribal farming communities.
Dr. Girish Patil S said the registration would strengthen policy support, breed improvement, conservation, and livelihood opportunities for Mithun-rearing communities in Nagaland and the Northeast.
ICAR-NRC on Mithun has established conservation units in Khonoma and Thevopisumi, supports semi-intensive Mithun units across the state, and conducts capacity-building programmes for farmers on scientific Mithun production.
The Nagami Mithun breed registration was applied by a multidisciplinary team comprising Dr. Harshit Kumar, Dr. Girish Patil S, Dr. Kobu Khate, Dr. S. S. Hanah, Dr. Kathiravan Periasamy, Dr. K. Vupru, Dr. Abhijit Mitra, Dr. M. H. Khan (ICAR–NRC on Mithun, Nagaland), Dr. S. S. Mukharjee and Dr. A. Mukherjee (ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal).