Context
- The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) facilitated the first-ever commercial sea shipment of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from Bihar to Australia.
- The export is expected to strengthen the international presence of Bihar’s flagship GI product and create enhanced income opportunities for farmers.
GI Tag and Mithila Makhana
I. What is a GI Tag?
- Geographical Indication (GI) identifies goods originating from a specific geographical territory where a particular quality, reputation or characteristic is attributable to that geographical origin.
- GI protection is provided under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
- GI registration helps protect the identity and reputation of region-specific products and can improve their marketability.
II. About Makhana
- Foxnut, commonly known as Makhana, is an important aquatic flowering crop scientifically known as Euryale ferox, also called the prickly water lily.
- It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates and is primarily cultivated in stagnant perennial water bodies.
- Makhana is also popularly known as the “Black Diamond” because of the dark outer layer of its seeds.
- It is cultivated in ponds, swamps, oxbow lakes, land depressions and ditches, generally in water depths of around 4–6 feet.
- Owing to its nutritional value and growing health-food demand, Makhana is increasingly being recognized as a superfood.
- Preferred Growing Conditions
- Temperature: 20°C–35°C
- Relative Humidity: 50%–90%
- Annual Rainfall: 100–250 cm
- Soil: Smooth, loamy soil
- Water Requirement: Stagnant perennial water bodies with a depth of approximately 4–6 feet
- Origin and Distribution
- Euryale ferox is considered native to South-East Asia and China.
- In India, Bihar is the leading producer, contributing approximately 90% of the country’s total Makhana production.
- Other states where Makhana is cultivated include West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Odisha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- However, commercial-scale production remains concentrated in only a few states, with Bihar being the dominant production hub.
Conclusion
The first-ever commercial sea shipment of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from Bihar to Australia demonstrates the potential of GI products to become instruments of farmer income enhancement, regional development and agricultural export promotion. With Bihar contributing nearly 85% of India’s Makhana production, strengthening processing, quality standards, logistics and international market access can further integrate the state’s Makhana sector into global value chains.