APEDA facilitates the first-ever commercial sea shipment of 18 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from Bihar’s Darbhanga district to Australia, delivering nearly 18 per cent higher returns to farmers.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, facilitated the first-ever commercial sea shipment of 18 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from the BIADA Industrial Area, Bihta, Bihar to Australia. The consignment was sourced from Makhana growers of Darbhanga district and exported by M/s NIAD Green, with logistics support from M/s Jitban Supply Chain Pvt. Ltd., a startup supported under APEDA’s BHARATI initiative, which stands for Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement, and Incubation for Export Innovation. The consignment was packed at the BIADA Industrial Area, Bihta, Bihar and flagged off by Vijay Kumar Sinha, Agriculture Minister, Government of Bihar, in the presence of the Director of Horticulture, Government of Bihar, officers of APEDA, representatives of the exporter, logistics partners and progressive Makhana growers. The initiative has enabled farmers to realise nearly 18 per cent higher returns than prevailing market rates. Vijay Kumar Sinha said that Makhana is the identity of Bihar and that greater participation of Bihar-based exporters in international trade would enable farmers to secure better price realisation, emphasising the importance of maintaining quality standards and stating that the Government of Bihar is continuously working to strengthen the Makhana value chain by supporting growers, processors and exporters. He also affirmed that all necessary support would continue to be extended to the Phori community, whose traditional skills are integral to Makhana processing.
Bihar accounts for nearly 85 per cent of India’s Makhana production. A separate HS Code for Makhana came into effect from July 2025 under the Finance Bill, 2025. During FY 2025–26, India exported more than 7,000 metric tonnes of Makhana and value-added Makhana products to over 20 international destinations including the USA, the Middle East and Africa. The initiative is expected to strengthen the international presence of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana, create sustainable export opportunities for Bihar’s Makhana sector and contribute to higher farmer incomes. APEDA facilitated the export in association with the Department of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, and continues to work with state governments, exporters, startups, Farmer Producer Organisations and Farmer Producer Companies to enhance the global competitiveness of India’s agricultural products.
Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB)
