Bihar sends one-tonne makhana consignment to Greece with APEDA support

• One metric tonne of popped makhana has been flagged off from Purnea for export to Greece via Mundra Port

• Bihar accounts for around 80–85 per cent of India’s makhana production, with cultivation spread across more than 35,000 hectares

• India exported over 7,000 tonnes of makhana and related value-added products worth $22 million in FY2025–26, according to Bihar’s agriculture minister

A one-tonne consignment of popped makhana from Bihar’s Purnea has been flagged off for export to Greece with support from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Commerce Ministry said on Friday.

The shipment was sourced by Indo Global Export, based in Belouri, Purnea, and is being exported through S. S Foods Exports Pvt. Ltd. It will travel from Gujarat’s Mundra Port to Piraeus Port in Greece.

According to the ministry, the consignment secured a higher price than the prevailing domestic market rate, indicating the potential for overseas sales to generate additional value for makhana producers.

India is the world’s largest makhana producer, with Bihar contributing approximately 80–85 per cent of national output, government figures show. The crop is cultivated across more than 35,000 hectares in 10 districts of the state.

Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said India exported more than 7,000 metric tonnes of makhana and value-added makhana products worth $22 million during FY2025–26. These exports reached more than 20 international destinations, according to the ministry.

Sinha said the state government was developing an agricultural export policy to support farmers and improve their incomes by encouraging overseas trade. Packhouses had also been developed to strengthen the makhana export supply chain, he added.

The Greece-bound shipment forms part of efforts to widen international market access for Bihar’s producers and exporters.

APEDA has been helping exporters establish market connections and reach overseas buyers, including in Europe, the ministry said.

Expanding these links could diversify export destinations, connect producers with international demand and create opportunities for better returns to farmers, it added.

With IANS inputs