India has exported 18 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from Bihar to Australia by sea for the first time. This marks a milestone for the state’s agricultural exports. It also connects local farmers with international markets.
The consignment was sourced directly from Makhana growers in Bihar’s Darbhanga district. BIADA Industrial Area in Bihta, Bihar shipped it with APEDA’s support.
India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal described the shipment as a major achievement for Bihar’s agricultural export sector.
“For the first time, 18 metric tonnes of GI-tagged Mithila Makhana from Bihar was exported to Australia by sea route in collaboration with APEDA,” Goyal said.
He said the consignment, purchased directly from farmers in Darbhanga, provided them with around 18 per cent higher returns than prevailing market prices.
The shipment was flagged off by Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and involved state government officials, APEDA representatives, exporters, logistics providers and Makhana growers.
The consignment was exported by NIAD Green, with logistics support from Bihar-based startup Jitban Supply Chain Pvt Ltd. The company was selected as the operations and maintenance agency for an integrated irradiation and packhouse facility developed by the Bihar government at Bihta.
The facility includes irradiation capacity, cold storage, dry warehousing and an export packhouse, providing infrastructure to process and prepare agricultural products for international markets.
Jitban Supply Chain Director Vikash Kumar said the Australia shipment represented the culmination of a wider effort involving farmers, government agencies, research institutions, banks and logistics partners.
He said seven containers of Makhana were shipped to Australia following an order from the NIAD Group, with the product sourced directly from Bihar and packed to meet international retail requirements.
The initiative has also involved technical support from the Food Technology Division of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), which has been working with the Makhana sector since March 2025.
APEDA has supported the initiative through export facilitation, market development, capacity building and coordination with stakeholders.
Bihar is India’s largest Makhana-producing state, accounting for around 85 per cent of national production. The crop is particularly important to communities across the Mithila region, where cultivation, harvesting and processing provide livelihoods for thousands of families.
Makhana, also known as fox nut or the seed of Euryale ferox, is harvested from aquatic plants growing in ponds, wetlands and shallow water bodies. The seeds are roasted and traditionally processed to produce the white, crunchy kernels widely consumed in India.
The product has gained growing international attention as a plant-based snack and health food, while also retaining an important role in Indian religious and cultural traditions.
A separate Harmonised System (HS) code for Makhana came into effect in July 2025, helping improve the identification and tracking of the product in international trade.
During 2025–26, India exported more than 7,000 metric tonnes of Makhana and value-added Makhana products to more than 20 international destinations, including the United States, the Middle East and Africa.
The first sea shipment from Bihar to Australia is expected to further expand the international market for Mithila Makhana and strengthen direct links between farmers and overseas buyers.
Bihar authorities and APEDA are now looking to develop farmer cooperatives, Farmer Producer Companies and modern farm-gate popping and processing centres to support further exports.
The initiative also highlights the growing role of Bihar’s agricultural infrastructure and startups in taking traditional regional products into global markets.
With Australia becoming a new destination for GI-tagged Mithila Makhana, exporters and policymakers hope the shipment will pave the way for regular commercial exports and create higher-value opportunities for farmers across Bihar.
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