Northern States Hold Highest Stock of Food Grains in India

29-Apr-2025 05:19 PM

New Delhi.  India’s northern states continue to dominate in food grain storage, with the highest stock held in the central pool, according to official data released on April 27, 2025. A total of 661.72 lakh tonnes of food grains (rice and wheat) were recorded in the central pool, including both direct and indirect holdings. This comprised 380.34 lakh tonnes of rice and 281.38 lakh tonnes of wheat.

In addition, 6.78 lakh tonnes of food grains were reported to be in transit — consisting of 4.39 lakh tonnes of rice and 2.39 lakh tonnes of wheat. The bulk of this stock is held by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), with a significant portion also stored by state agencies operating under the Decentralized Procurement (DCP) system.

Northern Region Leads in Stock Volume

The northern region holds the largest share, with 376.66 lakh tonnes of food grains. Of this, 278.08 lakh tonnes are with the FCI and 98.58 lakh tonnes with DCP agencies.

  • Punjab alone accounts for a massive 216.75 lakh tonnes, comprising:

    • 67.90 lakh tonnes of wheat (DCP)

    • 140.97 lakh tonnes of rice (FCI)

    • 7.87 lakh tonnes of wheat (FCI)

  • Haryana: 91.97 lakh tonnes

  • Uttar Pradesh: 44.79 lakh tonnes

  • Rajasthan: 15.30 lakh tonnes

  • Delhi: 2.33 lakh tonnes

  • Jammu & Kashmir: 1.77 lakh tonnes

  • Ladakh: 0.22 lakh tonnes

  • Himachal Pradesh: 0.78 lakh tonnes

  • Uttarakhand: 2.76 lakh tonnes

Western Region: 170.26 Lakh Tonnes

  • Madhya Pradesh: 116.83 lakh tonnes

  • Chhattisgarh: 25.55 lakh tonnes

  • Maharashtra: 18.70 lakh tonnes

  • Gujarat: 9.03 lakh tonnes

  • Goa: 0.15 lakh tonnes

Southern Region: 67.07 Lakh Tonnes

While wheat production in South India is minimal or absent, the region has substantial rice stock:

  • Telangana: 20.48 lakh tonnes

  • Andhra Pradesh: 17.99 lakh tonnes

  • Tamil Nadu: 15.25 lakh tonnes

  • Karnataka: 8.24 lakh tonnes

  • Kerala: 4.98 lakh tonnes

  • Andaman & Nicobar Islands: 0.11 lakh tonnes

  • Lakshadweep: 0.01 lakh tonnes

Eastern Region: 41.73 Lakh Tonnes

  • Bihar: 17.23 lakh tonnes

  • West Bengal: 12.96 lakh tonnes

  • Odisha: 7.94 lakh tonnes

  • Jharkhand: 3.50 lakh tonnes

  • Sikkim: 0.10 lakh tonnes

Conclusion

With robust procurement operations and storage infrastructure, Punjab and Haryana continue to lead the national food grain reserve. The data highlights regional disparities in storage and production, underlining the importance of a balanced procurement and distribution strategy to maintain food security across the country.

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