Aquatic crops like lotus stem and makhana offer livelihood security for wetland communities. Examine the potential and the constraints.

India is the world's largest producer of makhana (Euryale ferox), a crop grown in shallow ponds and wetlands. Bihar alone supplies about 80–85% of global output [1]. Lotus is harvested from village ponds in West Bengal for seasonal festival demand [2]. Both crops turn waterlogged land into a source of income. Converting that into lasting livelihood security, however, depends on easing constraints in the value chain and in the ecology of the wetlands.

Potential

• Productive use of flood-prone land: cultivation is concentrated in the Kosi, Mithila and Seemanchal belts of North Bihar. These areas are otherwise hard to farm [1].
• Rising demand and prices: the domestic market grew 17–18% a year between 2021-22 and 2024-25. Prices rose from about ₹500/kg to about ₹1,250/kg [1].
• Exports: a separate HSN code was created in 2025. Exports reached 7,264.89 MT in 2025-26 [1].
• Value addition and jobs: flavoured snacks and makhana flour create village-level processing employment. The GI tag for Mithila Makhana strengthens branding [1].
• Institutional push: the National Makhana Board (launched September 2025) and a ₹476.03 crore Central Sector Scheme (2025-31) [1].
• Integrated systems: NRCM promotes makhana-cum-fish farming and improved varieties such as Swarna Vaidehi [1].
• Seasonal cash income: pond lotus harvesting supplements household income during the festive season [2].

Constraints

• Drudgery: seeds are collected underwater by hand, and mechanisation is limited [1].
• Weak supply response: production grew only 4–5% between FY2022 and FY2025 despite the price boom [1]. Higher prices therefore did not translate into much higher output from farms.
• Traditional processing: roasting and popping are done mostly at household level, so quality is uneven [1].
• Concentrated exports: the US, Canada and the UAE take 77% of exports, and at lower unit prices than premium markets [1].
• Ecological base: degraded or encroached ponds directly threaten these crops. Under the Wetlands Rules, 2017, permitted "wise use" is left largely to state wetland authorities [3].

Way forward

• Organise growers into FPOs.
• Scale up NRCM's popping and grading machinery.
• Diversify into premium markets.
• Notify village wetlands so that they are protected.

Makhana and lotus show how wetlands can support incomes and protect ecology at the same time. With the Makhana Board, mechanisation and wetland conservation working together, aquatic crops can become a model of climate-resilient rural income. This would advance SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 8 (decent work) and SDG 15 (life on land).