How is Makhana Positioned as Bihar’s Rural Growth Engine?

Patna, May 20 (NationPress) In a significant effort to elevate Makhana into a globally acknowledged superfood and a cornerstone of rural development, the Bihar Agricultural Science Academy (BASA), in partnership with Agricultural Economics Research Association (AERA), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU), organized a National Symposium titled "Makhana: Unlocking India’s aquatic superfood for rural prosperity" in Patna on Tuesday.

The symposium was inaugurated by Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, who highlighted the state's strategic dedication to fostering innovation-led agricultural growth, particularly in areas with export potential and cultural importance.

“Makhana is not only a vital part of Bihar’s cultural and agricultural heritage but also a product with global relevance. This symposium exemplifies our determination to encourage entrepreneurship and value addition in this sector,” stated the Deputy Chief Minister.

Bihar is responsible for producing over 85 percent of India’s Makhana, mainly in districts like Darbhanga, Madhubani, Purnea, and Katihar, generating annual trade revenues of about INR 600 crore.

With the increasing global desire for healthy and nutritious foods, Makhana's popularity is on the rise due to its high protein, low-fat, and gluten-free attributes.

Dr. Mangala Rai, former ICAR Director General, described the symposium as “a platform to catalyze competencies and harness inherent synergies,” emphasizing the momentum behind Bihar’s Makhana ecosystem.

Despite its potential, the Makhana sector encounters ongoing challenges such as manual harvesting methods that restrict productivity, significant post-harvest losses, inadequate cold-chain infrastructure, and weak branding and export standards, compounded by the lack of a specific HS code for Makhana.

Dr. P.K. Joshi, President of AERA, advocated a four-pronged approach to unleash Makhana’s complete potential, which includes investing in innovation and mechanization to enhance productivity, fortifying the value chain with modern storage and processing systems, enabling policy and institutional support for market promotion, and incorporating Makhana into nutrition and rural development initiatives to expand both production and consumption.

The symposium emphasized the strategic function of the newly established Makhana Board, anticipated to streamline policy coordination, standardization, and access to global markets.

Experts drew comparisons with successful spice boards and underscored the necessity for evidence-based policymaking and focused support for women and smallholder farmers.

“The Makhana sector holds vast potential for improving rural livelihoods... Coordinated institutional efforts are crucial to amplifying its impact,” remarked Dr. Shyam Narayan Jha, Founding President of BASA.

The symposium concluded with a collective agreement to advance Makhana as a nationally significant, export-oriented superfood.