Rice stock in central pool increased to above 590 lakh tonnes

23-May-2025 04:32 PM

New Delhi. The stock of rice in the central pool has increased to over 590 lakh tonnes, which is approximately four times higher than the buffer norm, the minimum quantity required.

Despite substantial offloading of rice through the Public Distribution System (PDS), ethanol production, Bharat Rice initiative, and the Open Market Sale Scheme, the stock has continued to grow. This is mainly due to excellent paddy production and robust government procurement.

According to official sources, in the financial year 2024-25, around 46.30 lakh tonnes of rice was released into the market at subsidized rates from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses under various schemes.

Still, the central pool currently holds more than 590 lakh tonnes of rice, which far exceeds the buffer norm of 135.40 lakh tonnes required by July 1.

The existing stock includes paddy equivalent to 210 lakh tonnes of rice, which the FCI plans to process through custom milling. Additionally, there is more than 380 lakh tonnes of milled rice already in stock.

Rough estimates suggest that the government supplies approximately 360 lakh tonnes of rice annually through PDS, while procurement crosses 500 lakh tonnes, leading to a steady accumulation of stock.

Procurement of Kharif paddy has concluded, and the procurement of the Rabi crop is currently underway. New procurement for Kharif paddy will begin again in October 2025.

A few months ago, storage capacity was a concern, but the issue has now been addressed, and the surplus rice stock is being properly managed.