Patna, Oct 4 (IANS) Makhana is an “extraordinary blessing” for the poor in Bihar, and the state has emerged as the world’s leading centre for makhana production, covering 35,000–40,000 hectares of cultivation area, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Saturday.

The minister said that earlier, Makhana was produced in nearly 3,000 hectares.

Participating in ‘Makhana Mahotsav 2025’ held at Gandhi Maidan here, Chouhan announced that the Central Government has notified the establishment of a Makhana Board to promote research, development, marketing, branding, and promotion of makhana.

He added that nearly Rs 475 crore has been sanctioned for modern machinery, new variety development, and processing facilities to boost makhana production and value addition.

Appealing to Bihar’s youth to launch startups in the makhana sector, the Union Minister assured full support from the Central Government.

“Our goal is to take makhana from India to dining tables across the world, ensuring a steady rise in farmers’ incomes,” the minister said.

In his address, Minister Chouhan said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently extended a historic gift worth Rs 64,000 crore to the youth, especially those from Bihar.

“Bihar is witnessing showers of prosperity and development — the sun of a developed India is shining brightly on the state’s destiny,” he remarked.

The Union Minister also referred to the recent hike in the minimum support price (MSP) announced by the Central Government for farmers.

He stated that the Centre will procure all the produce of lentils (masoor), urad, and arhar grown by Bihar’s farmers at MSP.

The minister was on a one-day tour of Bihar, where he participated in ‘Makhana Mahotsav 2025’ and released the report titled ‘Makhana: From Culture to Prosperity’ (Makhana: Sanskriti se Samridhhi).

Earlier, the minister announced that starting from the academic session 2025–26, 20 per cent of undergraduate seats in these universities will be filled through the All India Competitive Examination conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The minister said that eligibility norms and subject groups for the entrance exam have now been standardised.

–IANS

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