Watch: What is Makhana and why is it in high demand?
Bihar produces 10,000 tonnes of makhana per annum, about 90% of the country’s total. The prickly water lily, from which the seed is harvested, is spread across more than 15,000 hectares in Bihar, and traditionally grows wild. About five lakh families, mostly from the Mallah community, are involved in its processing.
Makhana, sold in the international wholesale market at about ₹8,000 per kg, up from ₹1,000 about 10 years ago, is in high demand as a source of vegetarian protein in a world burdened by ‘meat guilt’ from animal cruelty and methane-related temperature rises.
The people who harvest the seeds though — traditionally boatmen and fisherfolk — say the government offers them little support, and they now want a minimum support price (MSP) to ensure that the crop is sustainable for cultivation.
The Bihar government runs the Makhana Development Scheme that gives a 75% subsidy on the Suvarna Vaidehi variety of seeds, calculated at ₹97,000 per hectare. From the wetlands of Bihar’s Darbhanga to the banks of Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery in Thanjavur, Sravan Kumar Roy embarked on a journey to study food technology.
At the National Institute of Food Technology, Sravan earned the nickname ‘Makhana Man’ for introducing his peers to this ‘wonder food. Today, Sravan runs a thriving business from Darbhanga, producing innovative makhana products that cater to customers across India.
The Bihar government supports makhana cultivation through subsidies and the One District One Product scheme, but more support is needed. Sravan’s graduation project, a makhana popping machine, gained over a million views on YouTube and laid the foundation for his startup.
Despite challenges, entrepreneurs like Sravan Kumar Roy are transforming the makhana industry, creating jobs, and promoting this superfood across India and beyond. As the Makhana market is booming all over the world, farmers of Bihar are demanding MSP for their crop, as most of their benefit is taken away by the processing industry.
Read more: Makhana cultivation in Bihar | Running on vegetable protein
Reporting: AM Jigeesh
Production: Zeeshan Akhtar
