Why in News?

• Recently, The Bihar government has urged the Centre to declare the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for makhana, an aquatic crop cultivated across 10 districts in the state.

Key Points:-

=> The state has raised concerns about the shortage of staff at the Darbhanga-based Indian Council of Agricultural Research - National Research Centre (ICAR-NRC) for Makhana.

=> Bihar produces about 85% of the country's makhana, with approximately 10 lakh people directly or indirectly involved in its cultivation and production process.

=> According to the Agriculture Ministry, The ICAR-NRC for Makhana in Darbhanga was approved by the Department of Agricultural Research & Education, Government of India, as a new scheme during the IX Five Year Plan period (1997–2002) for Conservation, Research & Development of the makhana crop.

=> The NRC for Makhana started operating in February 2002, but in 2005 it was merged with the ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region (RCER) in Patna, resulting in the revocation of its "national" status.

=> In May 2023, the Central government upgraded the Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanga to "National Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanga" and expanded its mandate to include other aquatic crops such as fish.

=> The NRC for Makhana was transferred under the ICAR’s Agricultural Engineering Division and attached to the Ludhiana-based ICAR-Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering & Technology.

Mithila Makhana:-

• Mithila Makhana or Makhan (botanical name: Euryale ferox Salisb.) is a special variety of aquatic fox nut cultivated in Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal.
• Makhana is the one of the three prestigious cultural identities of Mithila.
• Pan, Makhan and Machh (fish) are the three prestigious cultural identities of Mithila.
• It is also very famous in the Kojagara festival of Maithil Brahmins celebrated for newly married couples.
• Makhana contains protein and fiber, along with micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus.
• It received its Geographical Indication (GI) Tag in 2022.