📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / FacetsOfNonStickPans
Agriculture
Bihar’s Makhana Finds Market in Greece, Expands Export from Purnea
✍️ Swarajya
🗓 02 Oct 2026, 05:02 PM
👁 10
Makhana growers in Purnea, Bihar, have secured a export deal with Greece, marking the crop’s first entry into the European market.
Purnea, a town in Bihar’s northern district, has become the launch pad for the state’s prized aquatic seed, makhana, as exporters sign a shipment agreement with a Greek importer. The deal, confirmed by the Bihar State Horticulture Department, will see several tonnes of cleaned and roasted makhana dispatched to Greece in the coming months, making it the first documented entry of the product into the European Union market.
Bihar accounts for more than 80% of India’s makhana production, with the crop cultivated in the shallow ponds of the Kosi basin. Local farmers and cooperatives have been seeking new overseas markets to offset domestic price volatility, and the Greek contract is viewed as a breakthrough that could open doors to other European buyers.
State officials say the export will comply with EU food‑safety standards, and a certification process is already underway. If successful, the shipment could boost farmer incomes in Purnea and encourage similar initiatives for other high‑value crops from the region.
The move also aligns with the Bihar government’s broader agenda to diversify agricultural exports and promote niche products on the global stage, leveraging the state’s reputation for quality makhana.
Bihar accounts for more than 80% of India’s makhana production, with the crop cultivated in the shallow ponds of the Kosi basin. Local farmers and cooperatives have been seeking new overseas markets to offset domestic price volatility, and the Greek contract is viewed as a breakthrough that could open doors to other European buyers.
State officials say the export will comply with EU food‑safety standards, and a certification process is already underway. If successful, the shipment could boost farmer incomes in Purnea and encourage similar initiatives for other high‑value crops from the region.
The move also aligns with the Bihar government’s broader agenda to diversify agricultural exports and promote niche products on the global stage, leveraging the state’s reputation for quality makhana.