Experts said the fall in procurement is good for the economy as the increased in procurement has shrunk from 4 per cent until January 31
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Rice procurement by parastatal agencies such as the Food Corporation of India (FCI), declined by 17 per cent in February. However, the purchases for the Central Pool stock during the October 2025-February 2026 period — the first five months of the procurement season — was up 1.9 per cent at 463.06 lakh tonnes (lt). This was against 454.36 lt a year ago.
Experts said the fall in procurement is good for the economy as the increased in procurement has shrunk from 4 per cent until January 31.
The all-India rice purchase target has been fixed at 477.49 lt in 2025-26 from the kharif-grown crop. The total procurement in 2024-25 from kharif and rabi crops was 545.22 lt.
Early arrival
Procurement in Punjab, Haryana and other northern States got completed in December while in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka it ended on February 28. It wound up in Telangana on February 15. The purchase season ended in Chhattisgarh and Gujarat and on January 31. It will continue till March 31 in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra, and till April 30 in West Bengal.
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.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been able to buy 23 per cent more rice from Tamil Nadu at 16 lt from 13 lt a year ago, which is attributed to a bumper production as well as the State government’s push due to assembly polls scheduled this year. Telangana’s purchase, which was 27.3 per cent higher until December 31, has been reported 35.96 lt, up 7 per cent from 33.6 lt a year-ago. The number was revised last year. Andhra Pradesh has reported 88.4 per cent rise at 27.38 lt from 14.53 lt until February 28.
In West Bengal, the Centre has been able to buy 13.64 lt rice this year against 18.53 lt a year ago, which official sources said was due to diversification towards more high value non-Basmati varieties that command higher rates.
Record-high output
Rice procurement in largest-producing state (in kharif season) Uttar Pradesh improved after falling in first two months. It continued in January-February, too. The purchase in UP ended at 41.75 lt, which is 8 per cent up from 38.66 lt year-ago. Madhya Pradesh has also reported 18.9 per cent increase in purchase at 34.67 lt from 29.16 lt and Uttarakhand 11.3 per cent rise in purchase at 5.02 lt from 4.51 lt.
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 got 35.96 lt against 35.99 lt a yearago, official data show.
Chhattisgarh has reported that the rice purchase was 4.3 per cent higher at 73 lt from 70 lt after procurement began from November 1 and ended on January 31. Odisha has reported 2.2 per cent higher purchase at 44.77 lt against 43.81 lt and Maharashtra 2.3 per cent down at 5.99 lt from 6.13 lt. Bihar also reported 21.8 per cent lower at 20.54 lt from 26.28 lt year-ago.
The Agriculture Ministry has earlier said that rice production in 2025-26 Kharif season is estimated to be a record high of 124.50 million tonnes (mt), up 1.4 per cent from 122.77 mt a year ago. As of February 1, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had 74.04 mt of rice (including over 60 mt in the form of paddy) in 2026, 9.5 per cent higher from 67.6 mt a year ago.
As the government requires about 41 mt rice to meet annual requirement under the public distribution system, it has already allocated 5.2 mt of rice for making ethanol. It has been selling rice at a reduced rate of Rs 23,200 per tonne since November 1, against estimated economic cost of Rs 41,733.40/tonne.
Published on March 3, 2026