3rd Aug 2019 10:08:PM Editorials
Eastern Sentinel Arunachal News

Centre has recently assured Arunachal government to provide assistance to strengthen livestock and fishery sectors including grants for establishing Mithun and Yak rearing centres in the state. These sectors have high potential which are yet to be explored fully and it’s been a long time since the state is waiting for a serious look from the central government in this regard. Both livestock and fishery have emerged as great earners not only for the entrepreneurial farmers in various states, but also as a steady foreign exchange earner. And with a methodical approach and sustained efforts there is no reason why such success stories wouldn’t be repeated in Arunachal too.
Among the varieties of bovine species, it is beyond doubt that Mithun is an inseparable part of the socio-economic and cultural ethos of the state. It has got multifarious utilities since its meat and leather are all of superior quality over most other species. 
Inadequate intervention both in terms of modern research and scientific rearing methods is posing risk to these animals. Moreover, gradual denudation of free range area that sustains its healthy numerical multiplication has proved detrimental to its population growth. All these factors have accentuated the urgent need of its conservation that can only be possible by adoption of latest scientific and farm management techniques. Fishery has more or less the same story. Nature has bestowed the state with vast inland fishery resources in the form of rivers, streams, lakes, marshy lands etc that has tremendous scopes for commercially important as well as ornamental fishes. Although community fishing has always been a part of the tribal way of life in Arunachal, commercial aquaculture/fishery development had started late and hasn’t picked the desired momentum due to lack of research based institutional support and flow of investments.
But for holistic development of both these sectors, establishments of research centres can go a long way since there will be prompt solutions to the immediate needs of vaccination, dietary supplementation, conservation, breeding etc, instead of waiting for occasional ‘ Mithun Melas’. Although establishment of an extension arm of Mithun Research Centre of Nagaland has been promised, the need for a full-fledged one should also be kept in policy radar. Regarding fisheries research, as there is no such ICAR institute in the state or in Northeast till now, it’s also time to give a thought to it.
These developments, even if currently at the policy making stage will generate high hopes for sure. And it would be appreciable if actual implementation process meets the deadlines.


Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

<< Back to News List