Context: Recently, the Finance Minister, in her Budget speech, spoke about establishing a Makhana Board in Bihar.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Commodity Boards, Facts about Makhana.
Commodity Boards
- The Commodity Boards are autonomous bodies under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
- Functions of Commodity Boards:
- Provide financial and technical assistance to growers.
- Facilitating trade fairs, branding, and market linkages.
- Promoting research and development for value addition.
- Ensuring remunerative prices for farmers.
- Encourage export and domestic trade.
Existing Commodity Boards
There are five statutory Commodity Boards under the Department of Commerce.
- Tea Board:
- Set up in 1954 under the Tea Act, 1953.
- Membership: headed by a Chairman and consists of 30 Members.
- Head Office: Kolkata
- 2 Zonal offices: one each in the North Eastern Region at Jorhat in Assam and in the Southern Region at Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
- 3 overseas offices: located at London, Moscow and Dubai.
- Coffee Board:
- Constituted under Coffee Act, 1942.
- Board comprises 33 Members including the Chairperson, who is the Chief Executive and functions from Bangalore.
- Rubber Board:
- Constituted under Rubber Act, 1947
- The board is headed by a Chairman and has 27 members.
- Headquarters: Kottayam, Kerala.
- Spices Board:
- Constituted in 1987 under the Spices Board Act, 1986.
- The board is headed by a Chairman and consists of 32 members.
- Head Office: at Kochi, Kerala
- Responsibility: Development of cardamom industry & export promotion of 52 spices listed in the Schedule of Spices Board Act, 1986.
- Tobacco Board:
- Constituted in 1976 under the Tobacco Board Act, 1975.
- Headquarters: at Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Newly Established Boards
- National Turmeric Board (2024):
- Headquarters: at Nizamabad, Telangana
- Aims to enhance turmeric production in 20 states.
- Note: Turmeric is also known as ‘Golden Spice’.
- Proposed Makhana Board:
- To be established in Bihar.
- Union Budget 2025 emphasised institutional support for Makhana farmers in Bihar.
Important Facts about Makhana (Euryale ferox Salisb.)
- Also known as gorgon nut.
- Makhana is an aquatic crop cultivated in shallow wetlands.
- Bihar produces 85% of India's total Makhana.
- Its growth requires a conducive range of air temperature (20-35°C), high humidity (50-90%) and annual rainfall of 100-250 cm.
- It is a water intensive crop, needing assured availability of irrigation.
- Makhana is classified as a dry fruit although it is a product of an aquaphyte.
- Makhana plant has a combination of dicot and monocot characteristics.
- Economic significance: Supports 80,000 fishermen families in Bihar.
Bottlenecks in the functioning of Commodity Boards
- Stakeholder Representation: Often dominated by public representatives instead of actual farmers.
- Autonomy Concerns: Political interference may hinder the effectiveness of the Boards.
- Implementation delays: For example, Turmeric Board is yet to be fully operational.
Way Forward
- Ensure greater autonomy and farmer representation in decision-making.
- Strengthen scientific research for better yield and quality standards.
- Boost logistics and supply chain to foster trade into newer markets.
- Promote technological advancements for modernizing farming practices.