At Bohana, we are not only committed to providing a high-quality product, but also ensuring an ethical and sustainable supply chain. We’re proud of the unique model we have built here at Bohana. The individual relationships that we made on the ground have differentiated our brand not only in quality but in taste. We’d love to share a little bit more about where our seeds come from and what is going on behind the seeds!
Our makhana (popped water lily seeds) are grown on a farm in Bihar, in the North of India. For geographical and climatic reasons, Bihar is the state of most makhana production in India. Around 63% of the total makhana production comes from Bihar’s wetlands, accounting for 90% of India's production. The Indian government is implementing all sorts of legislation and subsidies to support the growth, harvest and exporting of water lily seeds, as they have become on of the worlds fastest growing ingredients and a cash crop for the Indian agriculture economy.
The cultivation of our water lily seeds is an environmentally friendly process that does not destroy the ecosystem. Due to the fact that this crop needs shallow water to grow, we have been able to diversify rice crop land to grow water lily plants as well. This allows us to alternate harvest and diversify crop land to increase supply. And in the long term this means we can grow this ingredient wherever rice grows. The harvesting process is arduous and typically takes place during late November or early into the month of December. The whole cycle is sustainable, seasonal and naturally occurring. No water lilies are harmed in the pick to puff process!
At Bohana, we have a differentiated model in which we source directly from our farmers through an aggregate network and cut out the middleman. We are the only brand who has been able to do that due to our relationships and family of generations working closely in agriculture on the ground in Bihar. Our commitment to fair wages, sustainable harvesting, and a fully collaborative supply chain allows us to source the highest quality ingredients that we are proud of and we are even more proud to share with you and your families!