Makhana prices expected to remain strong till the arrival of new goods starts
25-Jul-2024 06:30 PM
Darbhanga. Although in the most prominent Makhana producing state- Bihar, the arrival of new goods usually starts from June itself and the pace of supply increases significantly in July-August, but this time due to floods and rains in the producing areas, its new goods are coming in very limited quantity,
while due to the previous stock being negligible and the purchase of stockists and daily wage traders continuing for the festive season, the price of Makhana remains strong at a high level.
In the coming days, the festival of Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami will be celebrated. On this occasion, there has been a trend of increasing demand and consumption of Makhana.
In fact, Makhana is produced on a large scale in Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Khagaria, Saharsa, Supaul, Madhepura, Purnia and Katihar in Bihar and some other districts including Malda in West Bengal.
Floods are being witnessed in many of these districts because rivers like Kosi, Gandak, Kamalablan and Bagmati are in spate. It is known that Makhana is an underwater crop and it is brought up by sweeping it from the bottom surface.
Then it is dried in the sun and the grain is separated from the peel. Its process is going on at a very slow pace in the flood affected areas and the pace of production may remain slow until the water does not recede.
Makhana prices are running at a high level due to strong demand amid limited arrival of new goods in Gulab Bagh (Purnia), Darbhanga and Farvis Ganj and other markets.
Stockists and producers have negligible stock of it left and very little quantity of it is left in major consumption centers as well.
As a result, the goods coming to the producing markets are being sold immediately. In the major markets of Bihar, the price of Makhana has increased by about Rs 150 per kg in the last one and a half months. There is a shortage of good quality makhana.
There is no or negligible stock of makhana in Jaipur, Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Meerut, Saharanpur, Lucknow and Bareilly etc.
It may take a month for the arrival of new goods to start and it will not be a surprise if the price of makhana increases further.