{"id":70199,"date":"2025-10-26T11:31:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T06:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=70199"},"modified":"2025-10-27T16:36:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T11:06:15","slug":"indias-makhana-revolution-how-the-government-plans-to-transform-the-foxnut-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-makhana-revolution-how-the-government-plans-to-transform-the-foxnut-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Makhana Revolution: How the Government Plans to Transform the Foxnut Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Makhana Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At a rally in <\/span><b>Samastipur, Bihar<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, PM Modi described the newly inaugurated <\/span><b>National Makhana Board<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as a \u201crevolutionary step\u201d for farmers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bihar, which produces nearly <\/span><b>90% of India\u2019s makhana (foxnut)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, has been central to the government\u2019s recent efforts to promote the industry through infrastructure support, branding, and exports.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The renewed focus on <\/span><b>\u201cmakhananomics\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014a term linking makhana to rural development\u2014also carries a political dimension, aimed at appealing to local farmers and cooperatives ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Makhana: From Traditional Snack to Global Superfood<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Makhana, or <\/span><b>foxnut<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is the <\/span><b>dried seed of the prickly water lily (Euryale ferox)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a freshwater plant native to <\/span><b>South and East Asia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognised for its violet-white flowers and large prickly leaves, the plant thrives in ponds and wetlands.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>India\u2019s Makhana Hub: Bihar\u2019s Mithilanchal Region<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s makhana production is concentrated in Bihar, which accounts for around 90% of the country\u2019s total output.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The key producing districts \u2014 <\/span><b>Darbhanga, Madhubani, Purnea, Katihar, Saharsa, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, and Sitamarhi<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 lie in the Mithilanchal region, with the first four contributing nearly 80% of Bihar\u2019s production.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (2020), makhana cultivation spans 15,000 hectares, producing about 10,000 tonnes of popped makhana annually.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>A Superfood on the Rise<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once used mainly in ritual and festive settings, makhana has now emerged as a fitness and wellness food, thanks to its low-fat, high-nutrient profile.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nutritionists endorse it as a healthy snack, fuelling a surge in domestic and global demand.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Globally, the <\/span><b>makhana market was valued at $43.56 million in 2023<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and is projected to reach $100 million by 2033, according to Spherical Insights, underscoring its growing economic and export potential.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>India\u2019s Makhana Industry: Bihar Leads in Production but Lags in Value<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though Bihar produces nearly 90% of India\u2019s makhana, <\/span><b>the state remains a minor player in exports<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The largest exporters \u2014 Punjab and Assam \u2014 either process or repackage makhana sourced from Bihar, reaping the bulk of profits.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Lack of Processing and Export Infrastructure<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bihar\u2019s underdeveloped food processing sector and poor export infrastructure prevent it from capitalising on the crop\u2019s potential.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most of its makhana is <\/span><b>sold as raw material to food processing units<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (FPUs) in other states at low prices.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These FPUs then add value through flavouring, roasting, and packaging, earning significantly higher margins.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, farmers and the state government lose out on both income and tax revenue.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Fragmented Market and Low Farmer Returns<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The makhana supply chain in Bihar is dominated by intermediaries, leaving farmers with a small share of the final market price.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With no organised market structure, producers are unable to negotiate fair prices despite high demand.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Low Productivity and Manual Labour Challenges<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Makhana cultivation remains labour-intensive and inefficient.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Farmers sow seeds in ponds, then dive underwater to harvest them. Processing \u2014 including drying, roasting, and popping \u2014 is still done manually, increasing labour costs and limiting productivity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Slow Adoption of High-Yield Varieties (HYVs)<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although agricultural institutes have developed high-yield varieties (HYVs) such as Swarna Vaidehi and Sabour Makhana-1, adoption remains low.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traditional methods yield only 1.7\u20131.9 tonnes per hectare, compared to 3\u20133.5 tonnes achievable with HYVs, as per ICAR (2020).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Limited Mechanisation and Future Needs<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attempts to mechanise the harvesting process have failed due to the lack of efficient machinery suited to pond-based cultivation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts stress that awareness drives and technological innovation are vital if Bihar is to move from a raw material supplier to a value-added makhana powerhouse.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Building a Makhana Ecosystem: Bihar\u2019s New Push for Industry Growth<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The newly established <\/span><b>National Makhana Board<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, launched with an initial budget of \u20b9100 crore, aims to transform Bihar\u2019s makhana industry through improved production, processing, value addition, and marketing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Announced in the Union Budget 2024, the Board will train farmers, ensure they benefit from relevant schemes, and promote sustainable growth across the makhana value chain.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Mithila Makhana Gets GI Tag: Bihar Seeks MSP Support<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2022, \u2018Mithila Makhana\u2019 earned a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following this recognition, the Bihar government urged the Centre to introduce a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for makhana to ensure fair prices for farmers and promote the crop as a profitable, identity-based agricultural product.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Infrastructure and Export Vision<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As per the officials, the Bihar government plans to create an integrated food processing ecosystem with new processing units, cold storage chains, and export facilities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Upcoming cargo-enabled airports in Patna, Purnea, and Darbhanga are expected to play a key role in enabling direct makhana exports.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Need for Greater Investment and Accountability<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts cautioned that the success of the initiative will depend on adequate financial commitment and consistent policy attention from both the Centre and the state.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Past efforts\u2014such as the National Research Centre for Makhana established in Darbhanga (2002)\u2014failed due to neglect.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As of July 2024, the centre had only 10 employees against 42 sanctioned posts, no administrative staff, and no full-time director, highlighting the need for institutional focus and accountability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>The Road Ahead<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Bihar to truly harness its makhana potential, the government must bridge gaps in research, training, and infrastructure.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It should also focus on ensuring the new Makhana Board delivers real benefits to farmers and processors rather than becoming another underfunded bureaucracy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-politics\/politics-makhananomics-makhana-industry-bihar-10324343\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> | <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-economics\/budget-sitharaman-makhana-board-bihar-9812304\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IE<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The government\u2019s \u20b9100-crore Makhana Board aims to boost Bihar\u2019s makhana industry through processing, exports, farmer training, and value addition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":70338,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,3400,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-70199","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-makhana","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70199\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}