Government Wheat Stocks Hit 5-Year High

04-May-2026 12:37 PM

New Delhi. Although wheat procurement for the Central Pool in the current Rabi marketing season is lagging slightly compared to the previous year, the total inventory has surged to a five-year high—driven by a substantial carry-over stock from the previous season—and now stands at nearly three times the prescribed minimum buffer stock requirement for this period. Government procurement of wheat is currently ongoing.

Private firms are exercising caution in their wheat procurement efforts, having suffered financial losses in the previous season due to stock limits imposed by the government. The wheat stock in the Central Pool has already reached 360 lakh tonnes; with the procurement process still underway, stock levels are expected to rise even further in the coming days. This raises concerns regarding potential difficulties in the safe storage of this critical food grain, particularly given that government warehouses already hold a massive stockpile of rice.

Only the first month of the government's wheat procurement drive has concluded, and the process is expected to continue through May and June. While the minimum required buffer stock for the Central Pool as of May 1st is 74.60 lakh tonnes, the actual inventory has swelled to 360 lakh tonnes. This stockpile significantly exceeds even the projected requirement of 275.80 lakh tonnes for July 1, 2026. Moreover, the current wheat stock represents the highest level recorded since May 1, 2021.

Government wheat stocks have surged significantly due to lower sales under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) during the 2025-26 fiscal year. It is anticipated that government agencies may procure an additional 80 to 100 lakh tonnes of wheat in the coming days, which could further inflate the existing stockpile. It is pertinent to note that, under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), approximately 180 to 200 lakh tonnes of wheat are distributed annually.