# Bihar's 'white gold' makhana is harvested from thorns and water, so why are farmers losing money?

> Purnia's makhana has earned global recognition as a superfood and 'white gold', but a fall in raw makhana (guriya) prices to Rs 21,000 per quintal this season has left farmers worried about profits.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Business · **Published:** 2026-07-20 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/business/pani-men-kanton-ke-bicha-se-nikalata-hai-purnia-ka-makhana-phira-bhi-kisanon-se-munapha-dura-kyon-9205 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Makhana, Purnia, Bihar, White Gold, Super Food, Makhana Farming, Guriya, Farmer Profit

In Purnia, Bihar, makhana has grown from a local crop into a genuine identity. Known widely as a superfood and as white gold, it has moved beyond Purnia to build recognition abroad. That global appeal has pushed large numbers of farmers into cultivating makhana on a big scale. Yet prices for the crop swing constantly, and this season farmers are visibly anxious about how much profit they will actually see.

The white makhana laba seen in markets and homes does not arrive there easily. Behind it lies punishing labour and real risk for the farmers and workers who grow it. Pulling makhana out from among thorns submerged deep in water is genuinely difficult work, and labourers on site say it regularly leaves scratches on their hands. That is why those who work the fields consider makhana farming among the riskiest kinds of farming there is.

## How raw guriya becomes white makhana
About six months after planting, the raw makhana crop, known as guriya, is pulled out of the water. It is then cleaned thoroughly before being taken to a makhana processing unit, where it goes through several stages. First it is dried in the sun, then heated over a sand fire. After that, it is beaten according to size to crack the guriya open, at which point the white makhana laba is finally ready. This processed makhana is then sold in the market.

## Guriya price stuck at Rs 21,000 a quintal
The price of the raw guriya is what ultimately determines how much profit farmers make from the finished white makhana. Farmers, along with the labourers and traders who extract and sell the raw guriya, said that in earlier seasons the price of the black raw guriya used to stay high. This time, though, the price has dropped, and raw guriya is currently selling at Rs 21,000 per quintal. Workers present at the site, including Khairu, Waseer, Sumit and Mojim, said farmers growing makhana this season are worried about their profits.

## More farmers, more output, but not enough demand
According to the farmers and labourers, the number of people taking up makhana farming keeps rising. That has pushed production higher without a matching rise in consumption. With supply outpacing demand, this imbalance could end up causing losses for makhana farmers this season. In other words, the very crop that has earned a superfood reputation abroad is now leaving the farmers who grow it uncertain about their returns.

## What this means for you
- **Across India:** Rising makhana output without a matching rise in demand could keep pressuring prices in the wider superfood market.
- **In Purnia, Bihar:** With raw guriya prices down to Rs 21,000 per quintal, local farmers and labourers are seeing their earnings squeezed this season.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Why is makhana called white gold?
Its growing demand as a superfood and its recognition abroad have earned makhana the name white gold.

### 2. What is the current price of raw makhana (guriya)?
Raw guriya is currently selling at Rs 21,000 per quintal.

### 3. How is white makhana actually made?
Guriya is first sun-dried, then heated over a sand fire, and beaten according to size until it cracks open into white makhana laba.

### 4. Why is makhana farming considered one of the riskiest kinds of farming?
Pulling makhana out from among thorns in deep water often leaves labourers with scratches, which is why it's seen as especially risky farming.

### 5. Why are farmers worried about profit this season?
The price of raw black guriya used to stay high in earlier seasons, but this time it has dropped to Rs 21,000 per quintal, raising fears of lower profit.

### 6. What is being blamed for the falling makhana prices?
A rising number of farmers taking up makhana cultivation has pushed production up faster than consumption, an imbalance that could hurt farmers' returns.

---
_TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._