Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
National Makhana Board holds first meeting; ₹476-crore Central Sector Scheme rolled out for holistic development of makhana sector
Roadmap approved for research, quality seed production, value addition, branding and export promotion to modernise India’s makhana value chain
Annual Action Plans of states cleared; focus now on training, improved harvesting and post-harvest practices in traditional and non-traditional makhana areas
National Makhana Board to consolidate seed requirements and strengthen infrastructure for grading, drying, popping and packaging to boost farmers’ income
प्रविष्टि तिथि:
12 DEC 2025 5:56PM by PIB Delhi
The first board meeting of the National Makhana Board, chaired by the Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, held today at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, initiated the implementation process for both the Board and the Central Sector Scheme. The Board reviewed Annual Action Plans submitted by States and research institutions and allocated budgets for various components aimed at holistic sectoral development.
The Board meeting emphasized the need for consolidating seed requirement of states to be supplied by SAU Sabour and CAU Samastipur, Bihar for current and next year. The State Agriculture University, Central Agriculture University, Bihar and NRC Makhana Dharbhanga will train the trainers, from various states, on latest technological aspects of makhana value chain to facilitate makhana cultivation in traditional and nontraditional areas. The Board also stressed the requirement of need-based research, development of technologies for cultivation and processing, infrastructure for grading, drying, popping and packaging, promotion of modern cultivation practices, value addition, branding, market linkages and export readiness.
This foundational meeting set the roadmap for coordinated, scientific, and market-oriented growth of the makhana sector across India.
Background:
The Union Government has established the National Makhana Board, fulfilling the announcement made in the Union Budget 2025—26. The Board was officially launched by the Prime Minister in Bihar on 15th September 2025, marking a major step toward strengthening and modernizing India's Makhana sector.
To support this initiative, the Government has approved a Central Sector Scheme for Development of Makhana with an outlay of ₹476.03 crore for the period 2025-26 to 2030- 31. The scheme focuses on research and innovation, quality seed production, farmer capacity building, improved harvesting and post-harvest practices, value addition, branding and marketing, export promotion, and quality control.
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