By Prabhudatta Mishra

India has achieved 99 per cent of its rice procurement target of 575.52 lakh tonnes (lt) so far. It is 5 per cent higher than the year-ago level. As the new marketing season begins from October 1, the government may have to fast-dispose of its stocks before the next purchase for the 2026-27 marketing season staring October 1.

The fall in paddy acreage is a marginal 2 per cent so far, creating hope of another bumper harvest, unless there is large monsoon deficiency during August-September.

The government fixed the rice purchase target at 485.95 lt from the kharif-grown crop and 89.57 lt from the rabi season during the 2025-26 season (October-September). Total procurement in 2024-25 from both kharif and rabi crops was 545.22 lt in terms of rice.

Actual buy

According to official data, the actual procurement in terms of rice was 571.14 lt until August 4 against 542.85 lt in the corresponding period a year ago.

The kharif-grown rice purchases are over in all states, while rabi crop procurement will continue till September 30.

The Centre’s rabi season target (between April and September), includes maximum 43 lt from Telangana, followed by 14 lt from Tamil Nadu, 11 lt from Odisha and 10 lt from Andhra Pradesh. The data show Rabi rice procurement has gone up to 86.71 lt from 73.45 lt year-ago, up by 18 per cent.

Early arrival

From the rabin crop, the maximum of 42.69 lt have been bought from Telangana, followed by 13.20 lt from Tamil Nadu, 11.83 lt from Andhra Pradesh and 11.04 lt from Odisha.

Rice marketing season begins from October and the procurement period varies from state to state depending on the cropping pattern followed in each state. Due to early arrival of the paddy this year, the Centre allowed procuring agencies in Punjab and Haryana to begin purchase from mid-September and in Tamil Nadu from September 1.

Though purchase is a continuous process, sometimes the transfer of grains to the Central Pool gets delayed to be reflected on the record.

Haryana offers more

On the other hand, Punjab, which has been the top rice contributor to the Central Pool stock, purchased 104.86 lt, which is 9.7 per cent lower from 116.13 lt a year ago and Haryana’s procurement data has also been revised upwards to 41.58 lt (from previous 35.96 lt) after the State government requested the Centre to take the extra grain procured. In 2024-25, the procurement from Haryana was 36.17 lt, official data show.

The Agriculture Ministry has earlier said that rice production in the 2025-26 kharif season is estimated to be 124.76 million tonnes (mt), up from 122.77 mt a year ago, rabi rice output is pegged at 18.11 mt from 16.13 mt in 2024-25 and the summer season’s (zaid) harvest is pegged at 11.16 mt from 11.28 mt.

Published Date: August 6, 2026