Patna: Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU), Pusa, on Friday organised a workshop to strengthen the export value chain for Makhana, aiming to position Bihar’s signature crop as a globally recognised brand.Chairing the session, vice-chancellor P S Pandey said Makhana was synonymous with Bihar and called for developing the full chain from “Lab to Land and finally to Livelihood.” He emphasised farmer training in processing, packaging, quality standards and export protocols, and set a target to triple Bihar’s Makhana exports within the next two to three years.Pandey also urged systematic mapping of global demand, particularly in Buddhist countries, where Bihar’s link with Buddha could offer a cultural advantage.NABARD CGM Gautam Kumar Singh assured financial assistance, support for cluster development and value-addition, while stressing the need to organise growers through Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to ensure export-quality production.MSME director Rakesh Kumar Chaudhary highlighted the importance of modern processing and packaging technologies and assured technical and financial support to entrepreneurs and the university.Agricultural experts Pushpa Singh and Ritambhara Singh presented on production, processing and export opportunities.Scientists, officials, farmers and entrepreneurs subsequently discussed key export barriers and possible solutions. Sumeet Kumar Singh proposed the vote of thanks.
