Mithun : Food Animal Tag
Northeast’s Mithun gets a ‘food animal’ tag from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
- The Mithun or gayal (Bos frontalis) is considered a descendant of the Indian Gaur or bison.
- It plays an important role in the socio-economic and cultural life of tribes such as the Nyishi, Apatani, Galo and Adi in Arunachal Pradesh.
- It is distributed in Northeast India, Bangladesh, northern Myanmar and in Yunnan, China.
- It is known as the ‘cattle of the mountain’.
- The gayal is the state animal of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
- It has a lot of business potential and the potential to provide nutritional, livelihood and financial security.
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research launched the M-ANITRA app to register Mithun farmers as “buyers” and “sellers” with the aim of helping them do business at competitive prices.
- Conservation status
- IUCN: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India:
- It is a statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act).
- FSS Act of 2006 consolidated various acts & orders that had earlier handled food-related issues in various Ministries and Departments.
- Nodal ministry: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
