Bihar ranks next only to which state in the production of jute?

Makhana is the seed of Euryale ferox, a thorny aquatic plant of still shallow water whose large round leaves cover the surface of ponds and chaurs; the seeds are gathered from the pond bed, dried, roasted and popped into the white kernels sold as makhana or phool makhana.

Mithila Makhana was registered as a geographical indication in 2022, the tag going to a producers body of the Mithila region so that growers of Darbhanga, Madhubani and the neighbouring districts, rather than traders elsewhere, gain from the name.

The makhana research centre is at Darbhanga, in the heart of the Mithila makhana belt, and work there covers pond management, the harvesting and popping process and improved varieties such as Swarna Vaidehi.

Cotton is a kharif crop, sown with the onset of the monsoon in June and July and picked from October onwards, because it needs warmth and rainfall during growth and dry weather at picking.

The Shahi litchi of Muzaffarpur and the neighbouring districts of north Bihar is known for its thin skin, small stone and high juice content, it received a geographical indication tag in 2018, and Muzaffarpur is called the litchi capital of the country and houses the National Research Centre on Litchi.