Bihar
Makhana Mahotsav 2025 Held in Patna
- 06 Oct 2025
- 2 min read
Why in News?
Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, visited Patna during his one-day tour of Bihar to participate in the ‘Makhana Mahotsav 2025’ at Gyan Bhavan, Gandhi Maidan.
- On this occasion, he released the report titled ‘Makhana: From Culture to Prosperity’ (Makhana: Sanskriti se Samriddhi).
Key Points
- About: The mahotsav aims to position Bihar as a leader in makhana production while promoting its economic and cultural significance across India.
- The Central Government has established the Makhana Board with ₹475 crore for modern machinery, improved varieties, and processing infrastructure to enhance makhana production, marketing, and export competitiveness.
- Strengthened by research at NRCM Darbhanga, the initiative aims to diversify India’s agro-export basket, generate rural employment, and increase farmers’ incomes through integration with global value chains.
- Bihar accounts for over 90% of global makhana output, with cultivation expanding from about 3,000 to 35,000–40,000 hectares, and exports now reaching markets in Europe, the U.S., and East Asia.
- National Research Centre for Makhana (NRCM): The NRCM in Darbhanga serves as India’s premier institute for makhana research and innovation.
- It has developed high-yielding makhana and thornless water chestnut varieties, and introduced water-efficient integrated farming systems such as makhana-cum-fish cultivation.
- Over 15,824 kg of high-yield makhana seeds have been distributed to farmers, KVKs, and institutions like NABARD and the Bihar Horticulture Development Society.
- Several machines for makhana processing have been designed and commercialised, including seed washers, graders, roasting and popping machines, and graders for popped makhana.
- The NRCM has trained thousands of farmers and entrepreneurs, promoting rural employment and sustainable livelihoods across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
