Government Food Grain Stocks Reach New Record High

17-Jun-2026 11:28 AM

New Delhi. Driven by robust procurement of paddy and wheat during the 2025-26 Kharif and Rabi seasons, alongside high carry-over stocks, total food grain reserves in government warehouses have surged to a new record level.

According to official data, the Central Pool held approximately 122 million tonnes (12.20 crore tonnes) of food grains as of June 1, 2026—an all-time high. This volume is equivalent to the country's entire annual domestic consumption of rice.

With this massive stockpile, the government is well-positioned to ensure domestic food security in the near future. This is particularly significant given the anticipated weakening of the southwest monsoon due to the El Niño weather cycle, which could impact Kharif crop production across the country.

Data from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) reveals that the total stock of 122.64 million tonnes (1,226.40 lakh tonnes) in the Central Pool as of June 1, 2026, comprised 68.34 million tonnes of rice, 53.41 million tonnes of wheat, and 0.9 million tonnes of coarse grains.

The rice figure includes paddy stocks equivalent to 28.7 million tonnes of rice. Total food grain utilization under the National Food Security Act and other government schemes and welfare programs for 2025-26 is estimated at 56.09 million tonnes, comprising an offtake of 38.1 million tonnes of rice and 17.99 million tonnes of wheat.

If consumption patterns remain similar in 2026-27, the government is likely to retain a substantial surplus; consequently, even a minor dip in Kharif production would not significantly alter the overall surplus stock position.