Global agriculture products from Bihar gain international visibility through the maiden Buyer-Seller Meet, enhancing their global presence.
Boosting Bihar's Agricultural Exports: The International Buyer-Seller Meet
The International Buyer-Seller Meet (IBSM), held recently in Patna, Bihar, aimed to create significant export opportunities for the state's unique Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products. These include makhana (fox nut), Shahi litchi, Zardalu mango, and Katarni rice.
The event facilitated direct B2B interactions between local producers and verified global buyers, enabling the negotiation and expansion of export deals. This meet showcased Bihar's unique agricultural products, helping open new international markets and forging partnerships for exports.
Key technical sessions were led by experts from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), APEDA, NIFTEM-Kundli, ICRIER, the Indian Institute of Packaging, EXIM Bank, and Start-Up India. These sessions focused on modern farming practices, value chain development, export preparedness, innovative packaging, organic certification, start-up formalisation, and more.
Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Chirag Paswan, inaugurated the meet, emphasising Bihar's rich agricultural legacy and growing role in the international agri-food economy. Over 70 international buyers from 20 countries, including UAE, Japan, Germany, and the UK, and more than 50 domestic buyers attended the IBSM.
The event provided a platform for various agricultural entities in Bihar to connect with global buyers and showcase their unique products. West African buyers showed strong interest in Sattu, a traditional high-protein food, while Singaporean companies explored commercial deals for litchis and mangoes. Products like makhana, pulses, and lentils also attracted the attention of catering agencies in the airline and railway sectors.
Participants were introduced to key schemes like the PMFME scheme, with Bihar having the highest number of units approved for FY 2024-25. The IBSM underscored the effectiveness of coordinated efforts between the Centre and State governments.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between APEDA, the Government of Bihar, and UAE-based Lulu Group, aiming to extend the shelf life and export scope of Bihar's litchis. The event emphasised Bihar's preparedness for global markets and set a standard for future agri-trade collaborations nationwide.
Over 500 structured B2B meetings were conducted, creating fresh export opportunities for Bihar's signature products like GI-tagged makhana, Shahi litchi, Zardalu mango, and Katarni rice. Previous and ongoing buyer-seller meets, such as those held in New Jersey (August 2025), underline Bihar's efforts to promote these products globally and ensure farm-to-foreign flavor chains.
The first published date of the article was 22 May 2025, 05:44 IST. A related news article mentions a 76-year-old Bihar farmer named Nagaraj Nakhat who changed agriculture in his region by cultivating dragon fruit. This fact is not directly related to the IBSM event but is a separate piece of information about Bihar's agricultural sector.
Such platforms provide exhibitors with high visibility and premium locations to maximize networking and market reach, crucial for export growth of these regional specialties. The IBSM was typically integrated into larger trade exhibitions and export promotion events, often supported or organized by government ministries (e.g., Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India) to facilitate export enablement and global buyer linkages.
The event highlighted the importance of modern farming practices, value chain development, export preparedness, innovative packaging, organic certification, start-up formalisation, and more in Bihar's agricultural sector. It set a precedent for future agri-trade collaborations, showcasing Bihar's readiness to compete on the global stage.
- The integration of the IBSM into larger trade exhibitions demonstrates the importance of business (ministry of commerce and industry, government of India) in facilitating export enablement and global buyer linkages for the food-and-drink industry in Bihar.
- The signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between APEDA, the Government of Bihar, and UAE-based Lulu Group will foster innovation in the finance sector, as it aims to extend the shelf life and export scope of Bihar's litchis.
- The International Buyer-Seller Meet (IBSM) highlighted the need for lifestyle changes in Bihar's agriculture sector, emphasizing modern farming practices, value chain development, and export preparedness, to cater to global-cuisines demands.
- After the IBSM, home-and-garden catering agencies in the airline and railway sectors expressed interest in Bihar's food-and-drink products like makhana, pulses, and lentils, indicating a growing demand for unique, high-quality food items in the industry.
