The Centre’s rice procurement at minimum support price (MSP) gained significant momentum in the second half of October, with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) recording an acquisition of over 70 lakh tonnes (lt), up from approximately 60 lt during the same period last year. The total rice purchases in October surpassed 119 lt, compared to 81.85 lt in the corresponding period last year, with the first fortnight alone contributing 48.47 lt.
Official sources attributed the increased procurement to early harvesting in key states such as Punjab and Haryana. Additionally, purchases commenced a few days earlier than the usual schedule, which typically begins on October 1 in these states.
The rice marketing season starts in October, with procurement periods varying statewide based on local cropping patterns. This year, the early arrival of paddy prompted the Centre to permit purchasing agencies in Punjab and Haryana to begin procurement from mid-September.
As of October 31, Punjab, the largest contributor to the Central Pool stock, procured 69.39 lt, marking an increase of nearly 49% from 46.62 lt last year. Haryana also saw a substantial rise, acquiring 38.12 lt, a 22.7% increase compared to 31.06 lt from the previous year.
Procurement in Tamil Nadu, which commenced on September 1, has more than doubled to 7.51 lt, up from 2.89 lt last year. Other states contributed 4.05 lt to the Central Pool, including 2.89 lt from Uttarakhand, 61,701 tonnes from Uttar Pradesh, and 27,157 tonnes from Telangana.
The government has set a target of 463.49 lt of rice for the kharif crop in the 2025-26 marketing season (October-September). In contrast, the actual procurement for 2024-25 reached 545.22 lt, which included 36.17 lt from Haryana and 116.13 lt from Punjab. Although the procurement window for Haryana extends until November 15 and for Punjab until November 30, experts predict that purchases may conclude earlier due to the early harvest. Notably, Haryana’s procurement target of 36 lt has already been exceeded, while Punjab’s target stands at 116 lt.
Procurement is set to begin on November 1 for Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh, significant contributors to the Central Pool stock managed by FCI. The Madhya Pradesh government has reportedly requested the Centre to allow direct purchases from farmers through its agencies.
The Agriculture Ministry has yet to release its crop estimate for the kharif season, which is anticipated to be announced in the upcoming week. As of October 3, paddy acreage for this kharif season reached a record high of 441.58 lakh hectares (lh), compared to 435.68 lh a year earlier.
Published on November 3, 2025.
