Shivraj Chouhan asserts Makhana will dominate superfoods world in the future

Shivraj Chouhan asserts Makhana will dominate superfoods world in the futureUnion Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is confident that makhana or foxnut will become a major superfood around the world. While recently visiting the National Makhana Research Center at Darbhanga in Bihar, Chouhan brought to attention makhana’s nutritional superiority and recognized challenges of its production.

Chouhan stressed the importance of technological development to simplify the process of cultivation, which is now a labor-intensive process involving farmers working extensively in water. He instructed scientists to create thornless makhana varieties to minimize the physical workload on farmers and enhance productivity.

As part of encouraging makhana farming, the Union Budget 2025-26 made a declaration to set up a Makhana Board. Chouhan promised that the board would be constituted keeping in mind the inputs from the local farmers so that their issues and recommendations take precedence.

Bihar, specifically the Mithila belt, is the largest makhana producer in India and thus the major supplier to the rest of the world. The government plans to raise makhana production, processing, value addition, and marketing to cater to growing demand from domestic and global markets.

Chouhan’s active style, direct communication with farmers, and field experience of makhana demonstrate the seriousness of the government to make makhana a world-class superfood.