Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed people at a rally in Bihar’s Bhagalpur on Monday, February 24. In this meeting, he highlighted the work of his government in the last decade, stating his government’s plan to boost the agri-production sector in Bihar. He touted Makhana as a “superfood” and claimed to promote it globally.
Makhana is a superfood, grown in a small region of Bihar, as it is the home of more than 90% of production in India. It is cultivated on only 35,224 hectares of land as of 2023, which has grown more than 171% over a period of 9 years. The prime minister said he bears Makahana at least 300 out of 365 days a year.
Addressing the crowd, Narendra Modi insisted that makhana is now becoming a staple part of breakfast in cities across the country. We all should eat this superfood as it provides multiple advantages to our bodies. Now, our government is working to make this food a global need in the coming years.
The government has taken initiatives to give Makhana a global identity in the recent budget. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam tabled a scheme for Bihar in her budget session in the parliament in which she mentioned that the government is going to give funds to establish a Makhana board & food technology institute to bring this food to the global market.
In February 2025, the government allotted approximately 10% of the budget to Bihar, of which 100 crore is allotted for the Makhana board, to provide training to farmers, making them export-oriented, and help create an ecosystem that brings investment in the food processing sector.
Prime minister Narendra Modi added in his speech that the government initiative is to make this nation self-sufficient in all ways. Especially for the agriculture sector, he stated this government always works to improve the way of farmers. Growing Makhana production assists all the farmers from this region to be more valuable.
There are several varieties of dishes that can be made by using makhana. It is a low seed protein, carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. It boasts health benefits, including reducing heart disease risk and blood pressure.
In the global market, India is the biggest market and exporter of makhana. Last year, 25 million metric tons of superfood were exported overseas. The big players in this market are the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the UAE, who get this product in high demand from India.
Also Read: https://theglobalic.com/2025/02/25/policy-failure-of-aap-in-cag-report-rekha-gupta/
