Why is Makhana, the ‘Black Diamond,’ and its geographical aspects important for the UPSC exam?

Knowledge Nugget: Makhana 

Subject: Geography and economy

(Relevance: The announcement regarding the Makhana committee successful the Union Budget 2025 has highlighted the value of Makhana arsenic an important crop. Furthermore, Makhana is simply a Geographical Indication (GI) tagged product. In the past, UPSC has asked questions astir assorted GI-tagged products and the climatic conditions of antithetic crops. Therefore, knowing these aspects of Makhana is essential.)

Why successful the news?

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, portion presenting the Union Budget connected February 1, said that a “Makhana Board” volition beryllium acceptable up successful Bihar to boost the cultivation and selling of fox nuts. The radical engaged successful Makhana cultivation volition beryllium organised successful FPOs.

“A Makhana Board volition beryllium established successful [Bihar] to amended production, processing, worth addition, and selling of makhana… The Board volition supply manus holding and grooming enactment to makhana farmers, and volition besides enactment to guarantee they person the benefits of each applicable Government schemes,” the Finance Minister said.

Key Takeaways :

1. Makhana, commonly known successful English arsenic fox nut, is the dried edible effect of the prickly h2o lily oregon gorgon works (Euryale ferox). This works is recovered successful freshwater ponds passim South and East Asia. It is recognized for its violet and achromatic flowers, arsenic good arsenic its large, round, and prickly leaves, which tin often transcend a metre successful diameter.

2.The edible portion of the Makhana works consists of small, circular seeds that person an outer furniture ranging from achromatic to brown. This has led to it being referred to arsenic the ‘Black Diamond.’

A makhana husbandman aft harvesting a bucket afloat of earthy makhana seeds from a pond. These seeds instrumentality their unsocial achromatic signifier aft being ‘popped’. (National Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanga)

3. After processing, these seeds are often consumed arsenic popped snacks known arsenic ‘lava.’ Makhana is highly nutritious and provides an fantabulous root of carbohydrates, protein, and minerals. Due to its versatile applications successful medicine, healthcare, and nutrition, this works tin beryllium consumed successful assorted forms.

4. GI Tag to Mithila Makhana: In 2022, ‘Mithila Makhana’ was conferred a Geographical Indication tag. Notably, A Geographical Indication (GI) is simply a tag utilized connected products that originate from a circumstantial geographical country and person qualities oregon a estimation that are diagnostic of that region. GI tag is valid for a play of 10 years pursuing which it tin beryllium renewed.

5. Bihar accounts for astir 90% of India’s makhana production. This accumulation is chiefly concentrated successful 9 districts located successful bluish and eastbound Bihar: Darbhanga, Madhubani, Purnea, Katihar, Saharsa, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, and Sitamarhi, which are portion of the Mithilanchal region.  Among these districts, the archetypal 4 lend to 80% of Bihar’s full makhana output.

“Makhana harvest is grown successful astir 15,000 hectares successful Bihar which produces astir 10,000 tonnes of popped makhana,” a 2020 insubstantial by Indian Council of Agricultural Research said.

6. In summation to Bihar, makhana is cultivated successful smaller quantities successful the states of Assam, Manipur, West Bengal, Tripura, and Odisha, arsenic good arsenic successful neighboring countries similar Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Japan, and Korea.

Climatic Conditions for Makhana Cultivation

1. Makhana (Gorgon Nut oregon Foxnut) is an aquatic harvest and is chiefly grown successful tropical and subtropical regions.  It is traditionally cultivated successful stagnant h2o bodies specified arsenic ponds, onshore depressions, lakes, ditches, oregon wetlands with shallow h2o depths of up to 4-6 feet.

2. For optimal maturation and development, Makhana requires a temperature scope of 20-35°C, comparative humidity of 50-90%, and yearly rainfall betwixt 100-250 cm.

Significance of instauration of ‘Makhana Board’

1. The caller fund announcement regarding the constitution of a “Makhana Board” successful Bihar is highly important for those progressive successful Makhana cultivation. The Bihar authorities has been demanding measures from the Central authorities to beforehand Makhana cultivation. The authorities authorities had besides demanded a declaration of the minimum enactment price of Makhana.

2. Despite being the largest shaper of Makhana, Bihar has had trouble tapping into the expanding marketplace for this product. Although the authorities accounts for 90% of the country’s makhana production, the largest exporters of makhana successful India are really Punjab and Assam, with Punjab not adjacent producing the harvest itself.

3. This concern arises from Bihar’s deficiency of a developed nutrient processing industry and inadequate export infrastructure. Notably, nary of Bihar’s airports person cargo facilities, which further limits export capabilities. Additionally, debased productivity successful makhana cultivation is simply a important issue. Currently, the cultivation process is highly labor-intensive and challenging, driving up wide input costs.

4. Additionally, Farmers person been dilatory to follow high-yield varieties of fox seed seeds developed by cultivation institutes, specified arsenic Swarna Vaidehi and Sabour Makhana-1.

5. The Makahana Board, which has a fund of Rs 100 crore, is expected to supply grooming to farmers, making them export-oriented, assistance make an ecosystem that brings investments successful the nutrient processing sector, and assistance make required export infrastructure.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: One District One Product strategy & ‘One Station One Product’ scheme

1. The One District One Product (ODOP) strategy aims to beforehand balanced determination improvement crossed each districts successful the country. This inaugural seeks to identify, brand, and beforehand astatine slightest 1 merchandise from each district, fostering holistic socioeconomic maturation crossed each regions.

2. States and Union Territories (UTs) prime the products based connected the existing ecosystem successful their areas, arsenic good arsenic products identified nether the Districts arsenic Export Hubs (DEH) and Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products. The last database of products is communicated to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) by the applicable departments of the states and UTs.

‘One Station One Product’ scheme

1. The One Station One Product strategy aims astatine providing opportunities to section artisans, potters, weavers/ handloom weavers, craftsmen, etc. to marque a surviving done their skills and supply them with merchantability outlets astatine railway stations crossed the country.

2. It besides focuses connected beforehand section handicrafts, handlooms, and processed nutrient items which are unsocial to the country astir the railway stations.

(Sources: Understanding Budget’s Makhananomics, One Station One Product)

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