Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Patna for the ‘Makhana Mahotsav 2025’ at Gyan Bhavan, where he released a report titled Makhana: From Culture to Prosperity.
Praising Bihar’s rapid growth, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently extended benefits worth Rs 64,000 crore to the state’s youth. He assured that the Centre would procure all lentil, urad and arhar produce from Bihar’s farmers at MSP.
Calling makhana an “extraordinary blessing” for the poor, Chouhan noted that cultivation in Bihar has expanded from 3,000 hectares to nearly 40,000 hectares, making it the global leader in production.
He announced the formation of a dedicated Makhana Board to drive research, marketing and branding. Nearly Rs 475 crore has been sanctioned for modern processing, machinery and developing new varieties. Urging youth to launch startups in the sector, he said India’s goal was to place Bihar’s makhana on dining tables across the world.