NEW DELHI: The government’s wheat procurement is proceeding apace despite unseasonal April rains that had raised concerns over delayed arrivals, strengthening foodgrain stocks even as the energy shock from the Iran war fuels a flare-up in prices.
India has purchased 34.2 million tonnes (mt) of wheat as of 24 May in the 2026-27 rabi marketing season (April-June), higher than 29.7 mt a year ago and moving closer to the government’s target of 34.5 mt, official data showed. This has been supported by robust arrivals from major producing states including Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
In the previous marketing season, total wheat procurement stood at 30.03 mt. A higher procurement assumes importance given that wheat accounts for a third of India’s total foodgrain procurement, underlining its critical role in the country’s and the public distribution network.
According to government data, total wheat stock held by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies stood at 42.79 mt as of 30 April 2026, substantially higher than the prescribed buffer norm of 7.46 mt for the period, providing the Centre with ample room to manage supplies and ensure price stability.
Punjab led the procurement process, with around 12.16 mt of wheat purchased by government agencies, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 10.14 mt and Haryana 8.12 mt. Among the other wheat-producing states, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh purchased around 2.1 mt and 1.55 mt respectively until 24 May.
“Higher wheat procurement will not only help stabilise domestic availability and ensure remunerative support to farmers, but also strengthen buffer stocks for NFSA (National Food Security Act) distribution. At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, including the Iran conflict, stronger reserves could also enhance India’s capacity to respond to wheat demand from other countries,” said Pronab Sen, former chief statistician of India.
Queries sent to the Department of Food and Public Distribution and Food Corporation of India remained unanswered till the press time.
Government wheat procurement operations for the 2026-27 rabi marketing season have successfully concluded in both Punjab and Haryana while in other states, it is still in progress. With procurement in progress, experts expects that it will cross the target.
“With procurement operations still underway in several states, the government is expected to surpass the current wheat procurement levels and move closer to, or potentially exceed, the target,”said Navneet Chitlangia, president, Roller Flour Millers’ Federation of India (RFMFI).
Madhya Pradesh offered farmers a bonus of ₹40 per quintal over and above the minimum support price () of ₹2,585 per quintal, while Rajasthan announced a significantly higher bonus of ₹150 per quintal to encourage sales through government channels. Analysts said the additional incentives helped attract more farmers to official procurement centres, strengthening government stocks at a time when food inflation and supply management remain key policy priorities.
Record crop output
The government estimates wheat production at a record 120.21 million tonnes in the 2026-27 rabi season, around 2.26 million tonnes more than the previous year’s 117.94 million tonnes.
Anticipating a bumper harvest, the Centre raised its wheat procurement target from 30.33 mt to 34.5 mt for the 2026–27 marketing season. It has raised procurement targets across the key states of Madhya Pradesh from 7.8 mt to 10 mt, Uttar Pradesh from 1 mt to 2.5 mt, and Rajasthan from 2.1 mt to 2.35 mt. The government had set a target to procure 12.2 mt of wheat from farmers of Punjab and 7.2 mt from Haryana. The increase in procurement will help the government curb .