Darbhanga Makhana Foxnut Cultivation Harvest Bihar

Darbhanga district in Bihar's Mithila region is India's largest producer of makhana (Euryale ferox foxnut), a floating aquatic plant cultivated in the shallow ponds, beels, and oxbow lakes of the north Bihar floodplain that produces starchy white seed pods used in fasting food, milk desserts, and ayurvedic preparations. Makhana cultivation requires standing water of 1-1.5 metre depth in the April-September growing season, with farmers of the Mallah fishing community wading into ponds to harvest spiky seed pods by hand, pile them on bamboo platforms, and sun-dry before the labour-intensive fire-popping process: seeds are roasted in a clay pot, then hand-slapped with a wooden mallet to rupture the seed coat and puff the white kernel. Darbhanga and Madhubani produce over 80% of global makhana supply. The product received a GI tag in 2022. Makhana's protein content (9.7%), low glycaemic index, and suitability for Navratri fasting diets have driven demand in urban health food markets and export to the US, UK, and Gulf countries.