In a significant achievement for Nagaland, the indigenous Nagami Mithun breed has been officially registered by the Breed Registration Committee (BRC) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The registration was marked by a ceremony on January 14, 2026, at A.P. Shinde Hall, NASC Complex, New Delhi, where Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, presented the breed registration certificate to Dr. Girish Patil S, Director of ICAR–National Research Centre (NRC) on Mithun, along with the research team.
The Nagami Mithun, characterized by its robust muscular build and predominantly black coat with distinct white stockings, features an inverted triangular face, a prominent dorsal ridge in both sexes, and large, upward-curving corrugated horns. Systematic field surveys from 2023 to 2025 in the Kavünhou Community Reserved Forest, conducted by Dr. Gyati Yam and his team, led to the breed’s discovery and documentation, published in Kew Bulletin.
This breed is distributed across various districts in Nagaland and is primarily reared for meat and ceremonial uses, with adult males weighing between 470 kg to 500 kg and cows yielding up to 193 kg of milk during a 300-day lactation period. The 2019 livestock census estimated the breed’s population at around 23,000.
Dr. Girish Patil S emphasized that this registration would enhance policy support, breed improvement initiatives, conservation efforts, and opportunities for mithun-rearing communities in Nagaland and Northeast India. ICAR–NRC on Mithun has established conservation units and supports semi-intensive mithun rearing units, alongside regular capacity-building programs for farmers regarding scientific mithun production. The breed registration application was submitted by a multidisciplinary team from ICAR–NRC on Mithun and ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute, signifying an important milestone for Nagaland’s livestock heritage.
