Skip to content
KrishiKrishi

State scheme · Bihar

Bihar Makhana Mission

बिहार मखाना मिशन

ActiveMakhana MissionLaunched 2022 · Bihar Department of Agriculture & Horticulture
Benefit
75% subsidy
Improved seed (Sabour Makhana-1, Swarna Vaidehi) at 75% subsidy + cluster + FPO + GI-tag market linkage
Apply on dbtagriculture.bihar.gov.in

Eligibility

  • Eligible: makhana cultivator in Mithilanchal districts
  • Eligible: FPO
  • Eligible: cluster processor

Documents required

  • Aadhaar
  • Land record (Bihar Bhumi) or pond-lease deed
  • Bank account
  • FPO registration (for cluster components)

Quick facts

Key facts about this scheme
Launched2022
Implementing ministryBihar Department of Agriculture & Horticulture
Application portaldbtagriculture.bihar.gov.in (opens in new tab)
StatusActive

Programme design

Bihar contributes roughly 85 % of national makhana (fox-nut) output, almost entirely from the Mithilanchal belt and parts of Seemanchal. The Bihar Makhana Mission is the state’s targeted vertical for makhana value-chain development — covering improved-seed adoption, pond and field cultivation transition, popping machinery, cold storage, market linkages and the GI-protected Mithila Makhana brand. Mithila Makhana received the GI tag in August 2022, enabling premium positioning in domestic D2C and export markets.

Geographic coverage

  • Darbhanga (core district)
  • Madhubani
  • Sitamarhi
  • Saharsa
  • Supaul
  • Katihar
  • Purnia
  • Araria
  • Kishanganj

Benefit structure

  • 75 % subsidy on improved makhana seed varieties — Sabour Makhana-1 and Swarna Vaidehi — that yield 28–30 q/ha vs ~16 q/ha for traditional cultivar.
  • Subsidy on popping machine (kalka-machine) replacing manual roasting.
  • Cluster pond-leveling and de-silting support.
  • Storage shed and hygienic packing unit support.
  • FPO formation, training and brand-development support for GI-tagged Mithila Makhana.
  • Convergence with MIDH and PMFME for post-harvest processing.

Eligibility

  • Makhana cultivator in notified Mithilanchal district.
  • Pond owner, pond lessee, or field-cultivation farmer.
  • Registered FPO or cooperative for cluster components.
  • Aadhaar-seeded bank account.
  • Bihar Bhumi khasra or pond-lease deed (≥3 years).

How to apply — step by step

  1. Visit dbtagriculture.bihar.gov.in during the makhana-season notification window (December — February for seed; year-round for cluster components).
  2. Log in with AgriStack Farmer ID; select the Bihar Makhana Mission service.
  3. Enter khasra / pond-lease details, seed quantity, machinery requirement and FPO ID (if applicable).
  4. Block Horticulture Officer + Agriculture Coordinator verify pond / field, sanction the seed-subsidy voucher.
  5. Seed is procured from Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour (BAU-Sabour) or notified ICAR centre at the subsidised rate.
  6. Subsidy on machinery / storage shed disbursed via DBT after installation certification by district committee.
  7. FPO and GI-tag market linkage components routed through state PMU and Mithila Makhana producer companies.

Latest changes (2024 — 2026)

  • 2024: GI-tag (Mithila Makhana) brand roll-out continued via FPO clusters; common-facility centres operationalised in Darbhanga and Madhubani.
  • February 2025: National Makhana Board initiative discussed in Union Budget 2025-26 allocation context; convergence with central horticulture programmes deepens.
  • August 2025: Sabour Makhana-1 seed distribution scaled across all 9 makhana districts; subsidy retained at 75 %.
  • 2025-26: Exact mission outlay not published as of 2025-26 — verify the latest GO from the Department of Horticulture, Bihar.

Common rejection reasons + appeal

  • Pond-lease deed too short: leases under 3 years are not eligible for cluster components.
  • Seed quantity over cap: per-farmer cap on subsidised seed is set in the season notification and over-claims are pro-rated.
  • Bihar Bhumi mismatch: khasra-owner name differing from Aadhaar; remediate at the Anchal Office.
  • Machinery procurement off-panel: purchase from non-empanelled vendor disqualifies the subsidy.
  • FPO registration lapsed: FPO must hold valid Companies Act / cooperative registration plus board-approved AGM minutes for cluster funds.
  • Aadhaar — bank seeding failure: DBT credit fails on NPCI side.

Grievance: Block Horticulture Officer → District Horticulture Officer → Bihar Horticulture Mission Director. Appeal in writing within 30 days of rejection.

How Makhana Mission stacks with other schemes

The Bihar Makhana Mission converges with MIDH (central horticulture) for orchard-style cluster support, with PMFME for micro food-processing credit-linked subsidy, with 10,000 FPOs for producer-company support and with Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) for cold-storage and pack-house loans at 3 % interest subvention. Income support (PM-KISAN) and crop-damage rails (KIAY, Diesel Anudan) run in parallel.

Sources to verify before applying

Always verify season-specific subsidy ratios and notified variety list from horticulture.bihar.gov.in and the latest gazette notification. PIB releases on GI tag (Mithila Makhana — 2022) and Union Budget 2025-26 announcements provide context, but operational details live on the state portal.

Related

Related schemes

Sources

Last updated: