Bihar Assembly Polls: Madhubani’s Makhana farmers struggle for fair returns

Madhubani: Makhana, or foxnut, has emerged as a popular superfood not just in India but around the world, celebrated for its numerous health benefits. In India, Bihar remains the main hub for its cultivation, supplying nearly 85% of the country’s production, primarily from the state’s small ponds and wetlands.

Yet, in districts like Madhubani, the farmers and labourers who cultivate this labour-intensive crop continue to live in hardship, often receiving meagre returns for their toil.

“We dry, heat, break, and pack the makhana ourselves,” says Hareram Sahni, a labourer. “Ten of us work together, but we earn only ₹6,000 per quintal, no more than that.”

Ruby Devi, another labourer, adds, “We work for our employer, not ourselves. Right now, he pays us ₹6,000 for every quintal we give him.”

Makhana grows in shallow ponds and wetlands, and harvesting it is a gruelling process that often involves entire families. From young children to elderly men, working in muddy waters to collect the crop is part of daily life in these communities.

Pawan Kumar Mukhiya, who has been harvesting makhana since childhood, shares, “I work after school during winter and summer vacations. This helps me earn some money to buy food.”

Ghuram Mukhiya Sahni of Chakdah village explains the unpredictability of the crop: “Some years we make a profit, other years there is a loss. But we are used to working in the water; even if we stay there till evening, it doesn’t affect us.”

With the Bihar state assembly elections less than a month away, these labourers and farmers are urging the government to provide financial assistance and other support to improve their livelihoods.

“We want loans and other facilities from the government. If they help, we can produce makhana on our own,” Hareram Sahni says. Ruby Devi adds, “Right now, we work for others. With government support, we can start our own business.”

As voters prepare to cast their ballots for the 243-member assembly, those involved in the lower rungs of Bihar’s makhana industry hope their voices are heard and that the next government will take steps to uplift their communities.