Makhana Farming: Telangana and Bihar Plan Agricultural Cooperation With Makhana and Oil Palm

Makhana Farming: Telangana and Bihar are looking to work together in agriculture, with both states showing interest in each other’s successful farming models and crop based industries.

The issue came up during a meeting between Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha at the Telangana Secretariat in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The two ministers discussed ways to exchange technical knowledge, improve farming practices and encourage farmers to explore alternative crops.

Bihar has expressed particular interest in the way Telangana has expanded oil palm cultivation. The state is keen to understand the systems followed in Telangana, including nursery development, plantation management and the setting up of processing facilities.

Officials said oil palm cultivation covered around 3.1 lakh acres in Telangana during 2025 and 2026, with the state producing nearly 74,000 metric tonnes of crude palm oil. Bihar plans to send a special team to Telangana to study the model and understand how the crop has been developed on a larger scale.

The discussions were not limited to oil palm. Telangana is also interested in Bihar’s experience with Makhana cultivation, processing and marketing.

Makhana, commonly known as fox nuts, has become increasingly popular as a snack and food product. Bihar is one of the major producers of the crop, and Telangana is now looking at whether similar cultivation can be introduced in suitable areas of the state.

The focus is not only on growing the crop. Telangana is also keen to understand how Bihar handles processing, branding and value addition before taking Makhana products to consumers.

Officials from Bihar explained the state’s approach to developing specialised crop clusters for fruits, vegetables and millets. Such models could provide useful lessons for Telangana as it looks at ways to diversify agricultural production and create additional income opportunities for farmers.

The two states also discussed the use of modern technology in farming, incentives available to cultivators, new crop varieties, processing industries and marketing systems. The exchange of information is expected to help officials identify farming methods that could be adapted to local conditions.

Makhana is generally grown in ponds and areas where water remains available for long periods. This makes water management an important factor for farmers considering the crop.

Demand for Makhana has also grown beyond traditional markets. The product is increasingly being sold as a packaged snack and is gaining attention in domestic and international markets. Its growing popularity could create opportunities not only for cultivation but also for processing and food businesses.

For Telangana farmers, introducing an alternative crop could provide another option in areas where conventional cultivation may not always deliver stable returns. However, the suitability of Makhana will depend on local soil, water availability, climate and access to processing facilities.

The cooperation could work in both directions. Bihar can study Telangana’s experience with a commercial crop such as oil palm, while Telangana can learn from Bihar’s established Makhana ecosystem.

The exchange may also extend beyond government departments. Visits involving farmers, agricultural scientists and technical teams from both states could help understand cultivation practices directly from the field.

Officials are expected to explore further cooperation through such visits and knowledge sharing. The aim is to identify farming methods that can be practically implemented rather than simply exchanging information between the two states.

The discussions come at a time when crop diversification is receiving greater attention as farmers look for additional income sources. Expanding into new crops, along with processing and value addition, can potentially create opportunities across the agricultural supply chain.

If Makhana cultivation proves suitable for Telangana conditions, the state could gradually develop pilot cultivation areas before considering wider expansion. Farmers would need proper guidance on cultivation, harvesting, processing and marketing before making large scale investments.

Similarly, Bihar’s interest in Telangana’s oil palm model could help the state evaluate the possibilities of expanding commercial plantations and related processing infrastructure.

The cooperation between Telangana and Bihar could therefore open a new channel for sharing agricultural knowledge, technology and business models. Further field studies and farmer level interactions will determine how much of this proposed cooperation can be converted into practical opportunities.