India's Cultivable Land Falls, Yet Crop Area Surges on Intensity Gains

Thakur also addressed a separate question on makhana, the aquatic fox nut that has become a premium snack in India and abroad. The government started tracking makhana production separately in 2024-25. That year, total output was 63,910 tonnes with average productivity of 2.03 tonnes per hectare. The second advance estimate for 2025-26 puts production at 80,590 tonnes, a 26% jump, with productivity rising to 2.34 tonnes per hectare.

Bihar dominates the crop. The state produced 60,000 tonnes of makhana in 2025-26, about 74% of the national total, with average productivity of 2 tonnes per hectare.

A separate HSN code for popped makhana and other products, introduced by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade in 2025, has made export data visible for the first time. India exported 7,264.89 tonnes of makhana products in 2025-26, valued at ₹192.96 crore. Bihar's share of that export volume was 39.20 tonnes, worth ₹4.03 crore.

Union Minister of State Bhagirath Choudhary, responding to another query, highlighted the ICAR-National Research Centre for Makhana's work in Darbhanga. The centre developed a high-yielding variety called Swarna Vaidehi, with an average yield potential of 28-30 quintals per hectare, nearly double the 14-16 quintals from conventional cultivation. Two thorn-less water chestnut varieties, Swarna Harit and Swarna Lohit, can be planted after the makhana harvest, allowing farmers to double-crop the same pond. The centre also promoted a makhana-cum-fish farming system that, Choudhary said, generates 40-50% higher income than makhana alone.