Foodgrain Stocks in Central Pool Remain at High Levels

16-Sep-2026 01:19 PM

New Delhi. Due to the cessation of government wheat procurement and the continued regular off-take of grain from warehouses, foodgrain stocks (rice and wheat) in the central pool stood at 870.45 lakh tonnes as of November 1, 2026. While this is 36.87 lakh tonnes lower than the 907.32 lakh tonnes available on August 1, 2026, it is 168.42 lakh tonnes higher than the stock level of 702.03 lakh tonnes recorded in September 2025. Compared to the stock of 574.57 lakh tonnes in September 2024, the stock in September 2026 is higher by 295.88 lakh tonnes.

Between August and September, rice stocks in the central pool fell from 402.01 lakh tonnes to 390.53 lakh tonnes, while wheat stocks declined from 505.31 lakh tonnes to 479.92 lakh tonnes. The relatively smaller decline in rice stocks is attributed to the regular supply of custom-milled rice to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) by rice millers.

Additionally, paddy stocks dropped from 353.47 lakh tonnes in August to 307.51 lakh tonnes in September, and coarse grain stocks fell from 9.58 lakh tonnes to 7.14 lakh tonnes. With the harvesting and government procurement of the new paddy crop set to begin next month (October), rice stocks may see a gradual improvement.