Bihar’s GI-Tagged Mithila Makhana Makes First Sea Voyage to Australia in Major Export Milestone

APEDA facilitates 18-tonne commercial shipment from Bihar as Darbhanga farmers earn nearly 18% higher returns

In a significant boost for Bihar’s agricultural exports, GI-tagged Mithila Makhana has been commercially exported to Australia by sea for the first time, opening a new international market route for one of the State’s best-known traditional agricultural products.

The 18-metric-tonne consignment, sourced directly from Makhana growers in Darbhanga district, was processed and packed at the BIADA Industrial Area in Bihta, Bihar, before beginning its journey to Australia.

The export was facilitated by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in coordination with the Bihar Agriculture Department.

Importantly, farmers supplying Makhana for the consignment reportedly received nearly 18% higher returns compared with prevailing market prices, demonstrating the potential of direct export linkages to improve price realisation for agricultural producers.

Bihar’s Makhana Enters a New Global Market

The consignment was formally flagged off by Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha in the presence of officials from the State horticulture department and APEDA, exporters, logistics companies and Makhana growers.

The shipment consists of premium-quality raw GI-tagged Mithila Makhana sourced from farmers in Darbhanga, one of the principal Makhana-producing regions of Bihar.

The export was undertaken by NIAD Green, while logistics support was provided by Jitban Supply Chain Pvt. Ltd., a startup supported through APEDA’s BHARATI — Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement, and Incubation for Export Innovation — initiative.

The use of the sea route is particularly significant because large-volume maritime shipments can help make Indian agricultural products more competitive in distant markets by creating scalable and potentially more cost-efficient export channels.

Higher Returns for Farmers

One of the most important outcomes of the initiative is the improvement in returns received by growers.

According to the government, farmers participating in the export supply chain received prices approximately 18% higher than prevailing domestic market rates.

Such export-oriented value chains can shorten the distance between producers and overseas buyers while creating demand for consistent grading, processing, packaging and quality control.

For Bihar’s Makhana-growing communities, sustained exports could therefore create benefits extending beyond the farm gate, including opportunities in processing, packaging, warehousing, logistics and rural enterprises.

‘Makhana Is the Identity of Bihar’

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Vijay Kumar Sinha described Makhana as an important part of Bihar’s identity and said increased participation by Bihar-based exporters in international markets could help growers obtain better prices.

He also stressed that producers and exporters would have to maintain high quality standards to satisfy international market requirements.

The Bihar government, he said, is working to strengthen different parts of the Makhana value chain by supporting growers, processors and exporters.

Special attention was also drawn to the Phori community, whose traditional skills play an important role in Makhana processing. The State government has indicated that support for communities involved in the traditional processing ecosystem will continue as the industry expands.

Bihar Produces Nearly 85% of India’s Makhana

Bihar occupies an overwhelmingly dominant position in India’s Makhana economy, accounting for nearly 85% of national production.

Makhana, commonly known as fox nut, is cultivated extensively in the wetland and pond ecosystems of northern Bihar, with districts in the Mithila region forming the heart of the industry.

Its Geographical Indication tag as Mithila Makhana has strengthened the regional identity of the crop and provides an important branding tool as Indian producers seek to differentiate the product in international markets.

Growing global interest in traditional foods, plant-based snacks and minimally processed products has also provided opportunities for Makhana to move beyond its traditional domestic consumption base.

Separate HS Code Strengthens Makhana Trade

Another important development for the sector came with the creation of a separate Harmonised System, or HS, Code for Makhana, which took effect in July 2025 under the Finance Bill, 2025.

A dedicated trade classification makes it easier to identify and monitor Makhana exports separately instead of grouping the product under broader customs categories.

This can improve export data collection, trade policy formulation, market analysis and sector-specific export promotion.

The measure also reflects the growing commercial importance of Makhana as a standalone Indian agricultural export commodity.

India Exported More Than 7,000 Tonnes in FY2025-26

India’s Makhana exports have already begun developing a considerable international footprint.

During FY2025-26, India exported more than 7,000 metric tonnes of Makhana and value-added Makhana products to over 20 international destinations.

Major markets included the United States, countries in the Middle East and destinations across Africa.

The first commercial sea shipment of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana to Australia therefore represents more than an individual export order. It expands the geographical reach of the industry into another major developed market and demonstrates the possibility of shipping larger commercial volumes over long distances.

APEDA Pushes Export-Oriented Makhana Ecosystem

APEDA has been supporting Makhana exports through market development programmes, capacity building, export facilitation and coordination among producers, exporters and other stakeholders.

For the Australian shipment, the authority assisted with market-access facilitation and coordination required for movement of the consignment.

The broader strategy involves working with State governments, exporters, startups, Farmer Producer Organisations, Farmer Producer Companies and agricultural entrepreneurs to improve the international competitiveness of Indian farm products.

For Bihar, this approach has particular significance.

The State possesses a dominant production base, traditional expertise and a globally identifiable GI-tagged product. Developing efficient processing facilities, quality certification, modern packaging, cold and dry storage infrastructure, organised aggregation and international distribution could allow more of the final value of Makhana to remain within Bihar itself.

From Mithila’s Wetlands to Australian Shelves

The journey of an 18-tonne shipment from the Makhana fields of Darbhanga to the Australian market illustrates the transformation taking place in parts of Indian agriculture.

A crop historically rooted in the ponds and wetlands of Mithila is gradually becoming an organised export commodity supported by geographical indication protection, dedicated customs classification, modern logistics and direct international market access.

The immediate achievement is the opening of a new export route.

The larger opportunity lies in turning Bihar from merely the world’s major production centre for Makhana into a global centre for its processing, branding, value addition and international trade.

With farmers already receiving substantially better returns from the first Australian sea shipment, the commercial success of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana could become an important example of how local agricultural heritage can be converted into globally competitive rural enterprise.

Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB), Ministry of Commerce & Industry / Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Government of India, 8 August 2026.

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Source: PIB

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