OCT 04: Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, attended the Makhana Mahotsav 2025 at Gyan Bhavan, Patna, celebrating Bihar’s growing prominence in makhana (fox nut) cultivation. During the event, he released a report titled “Makhana: From Culture to Prosperity” (Makhana: Sanskriti se Samridhhi), showcasing the sector’s potential in boosting rural livelihoods.
Calling makhana an “extraordinary blessing for the poor,” Shri Chouhan said Bihar has become a global hub for makhana production, with cultivation expanding from about 3,000 hectares to nearly 40,000 hectares. He praised the farmers for transforming makhana into a high-value crop with both domestic and international demand.
The Union Minister announced that the Central Government has established a Makhana Board to promote research, marketing, and branding of makhana. He further revealed that ₹475 crore has been allocated for improving processing infrastructure, developing new varieties, and introducing modern machinery to enhance production and exports.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to farmers, Shri Chouhan spoke about the recent increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP) and assured that the Centre will procure all lentil (masoor), urad, and arhar produce grown in Bihar at MSP rates.
Encouraging youth participation in the agricultural value chain, he urged young entrepreneurs to explore startup opportunities in makhana processing, packaging, and export. “Our goal is to take makhana from India to dining tables across the world while ensuring a steady rise in farmers’ incomes,” he said.
Describing Bihar as a state “witnessing showers of prosperity and development,” Shri Chouhan credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed and self-reliant India. He lauded the people of Bihar for their hard work and reaffirmed the government’s continued support to strengthen the makhana industry and rural economy.
