In a major push for India’s makhana sector, Union government approved a multi-year development programme with an outlay of Rs 476.03 crore for the six-year period from 2025-26 to 2030-31. The scheme, rolled out on Friday, aims to mordernise and expand the ecosystem. Ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare, said in an official release, that the programme has been designed to focus on the research and innovation, production of quality seeds, farmer capacity building, improved harvesting and post-harvest management, value addition, branding and marketing, export promotion, and quality assurance. The implementation process formally began with the inaugural meeting of the National Makhana Board, held at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by Devesh Chaturvedi, secretary in the department of agriculture and farmers welfare, and focused on operationalising both the Board and the Central Sector Scheme.According to the ministry, the board reviewed the annual action plans submitted by states and research institutions and approved budget allocations for various components of the programme. These steps are intended to support comprehensive development of the sector.The meeting also drew attention to the need for streamlining the seed supply, saying that seed requirements from states should be consolidated and met through SAU Sabour and CAU Samastipur in Bihar for the ongoing year and the next. To strengthen skills and knowledge transfer, the State Agriculture University, Central Agriculture University, Bihar, and NRC Makhana, Darbhanga, will also conduct training programmes for trainers from various states. The focus will be on the latest technological developments across the makhana value chain, with the aim of promoting cultivation in both, traditional and nontraditional regions.The Board also emphasised on the importance of developing new cultivation and processing technologies, creating infrastructure for grading, drying, popping and packaging, promoting modern farming practices, and strengthening value addition, branding, market linkages and export preparedness “This foundational meeting set the roadmap for coordinated, scientific, and market-oriented growth of the makhana sector across India,” the ministry’s statement said. The National Makhana Board was set up in line with the announcement made in the Union Budget 2025-26 and was officially launched by PM Modi in Bihar on September 15, this year, indicating a major push to strengthen and modernise the makhana industry.
