Withdrawal of 10 lakh tonnes of rice from Punjab for storage of Kharif crops

16-Jun-2025 08:27 PM

Chandigarh. Although the government procurement of Rabi season wheat has ended in Punjab, the state—one of the largest contributors of food grains to the central pool—still presents a significant workload for the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

While the FCI continues to manage the safe storage of wheat and receive rice supplies from rice millers, it must also prepare to clear space for storing rice from the upcoming Kharif crop.

To make room for the rice that will be produced from the next paddy procurement season, rice stocks are currently being moved out of Punjab’s godowns and sent to other states.

According to available data, 10 lakh tonnes of rice were dispatched from Punjab in May 2025. An additional 14 lakh tonnes are scheduled to be transferred in June 2025.

The goal is to empty as many storage facilities as possible before the Kharif Marketing Season begins in October 2025, ensuring smooth and safe storage of incoming Custom Milled Rice (CMR).

The General Manager of the Punjab Region of FCI stated that adequate space is being secured in advance so that incoming rice supplies can be stored without difficulty.

Typically, rice millers begin delivering rice to the FCI in December. In anticipation, FCI has planned to transfer 8–10 lakh tonnes of rice stock from Punjab to other states between now and December 2025.

During the 2024–25 Kharif Marketing Season, FCI has so far received 96 lakh tonnes of rice—about 82 percent of the total quantity expected from rice millers.

Although millers are ready to supply more, limited storage space has led to delays. The remaining 18 percent will be accepted once sufficient space is made available in the godowns.