Car Nicobar, October 21: A herbal ointment developed using traditional Nicobarese veterinary knowledge has been launched in Car Nicobar to support wound treatment in livestock and pet animals, bringing indigenous medicinal practices into a scientific research initiative focused on animal healthcare and tribal livelihoods.
The ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-CIARI), in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Car Nicobar, introduced the veterinary herbal ointment during Reform Utsav 2026 at the Tribal Council office.
According to ICAR-CIARI Principal Scientist T. Sujatha, the formulation underwent scientific validation for wound healing. Sujatha and Jai Sunder developed the product under a Department of Science and Technology (DST) project aimed at improving the socioeconomic status and self-employment opportunities of Nicobarese tribal communities through scientific validation of ethnoveterinary medicinal knowledge and herbal product development.
Addressing the gathering, Sujatha emphasised the importance of livestock healthcare in protecting human health. She said herbal formulations could contribute to sustainable animal health management, particularly in geographically remote areas such as Car Nicobar.
She also informed participants about ongoing participatory skill-development programmes for tribal healers, focusing on converting traditional ethnoveterinary oil formulations into ointments.
The programme brought together 40 tribal representatives, providing an opportunity for interaction between researchers and the Nicobarese farming community.
Tribal Council Chief Captain Lionald Nicomed, Secretary Martin Luther and Deputy Chief John Levi attended the event. Village captains Paul Benjamin of Tamaloo, Lawrence Mathew of Tapoiming and Paul David of Perka also participated.
Officials from the Agriculture and Fisheries departments attended, including Vinod Kumar, Assistant Director of Agriculture; Bhu Bharaty, Agricultural Officer; and Glory, Assistant Director of Fisheries.
The KVK Car Nicobar team coordinated the programme under Senior Scientist and Head Santosh Kumar, with Deepoo Meena, Ajmal S. and Sanketh G.D. serving as co-facilitators.
ICAR-CIARI Director Jai Sunder provided overall guidance for the initiative.
The launch forms part of the research effort to scientifically examine traditional tribal veterinary practices and develop herbal products from indigenous medicinal knowledge.
The associated training programmes focus on involving tribal healers in formulation development while linking their existing knowledge with scientific research and practical applications in animal healthcare.
