The Indian government’s rice purchase for official reserves during the October 2025-March 2026 period or the kharif marketing season, was 463.06 lakh tonnes (lt), up by 6 per cent from 454.36 lt a year ago. The purchase rebounded in March rising by nearly 10 times, after falling 17 per cent during February.
The all-India rice purchase target has been revised to 487 lt for 2025-26 from previous estimate of over 477 lt, from the kharif-grown crop. Total procurement in 2024-25 from both Kharif and Rabi crops was 545.22 lt in terms of rice.
Except Odisha, where procurement has been extended till April 7 and West Bengal (to continue till April 30), Assam (till June 30) and Tripura (till May 31), the rice purchases from kharif season is over in all the States. It got completed on March 31 in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra.
Rabi target
The Centre has fixed a target to buy 79.57 lt of rice from Rabi season between April and September, in which maximum 35 lt is aimed to be purchased from Telangana, followed by 14 lt from Tamil Nadu, 11 lt from Odisha and 10 lt from Andhra Pradesh.
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.
Official sources said that out of more than 21 lt in terms of rice purchased during only in March (against about 2 lt a year ago), maximum quantity of 7.3 lt was bought in Odisha. But the sources said that though purchase is a continuous process, sometimes the transfer of grains to the Central Pool gets delayed being reflected on the record. Other States that said to have purchased high quantity of rice last month include Bihar (4.42 lt), Telangana (3.53 lt) and West Bengal (2.9 lt).
Down 17% in TN
In Tamil Nadu it was 23 per cent higher until end of February, but it has dropped by 17 per cent as on March 31 after the current year’s procurement remains same at 16 lt as it was on February 28 whereas the year-ago number has moved to 19.22 lt from 13 lt.
Telangana’s purchase is reported to be 22.7 per cent higher at 39.49 lt from 32.19 lt as the year-ago number was revised lower while this year’s purchase remained at same level as a month before. Though the State has been seeking to transfer higher rice to the Central Pool as already procured, the Centre has refused to take extra from the cap it imposed. Andhra Pradesh has reported 79.3 per cent rise to 27.87 lt until March 31 from 15.54 lt year-ago.
In West Bengal, the Centre has been able to buy 27.87 lt rice this year against 15.54 lt year-ago, which official sources said due to the on-going Assembly poll.
8% higher in UP
Rice procurement in the largest producing State (in kharif season) Uttar Pradesh has 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 year-ago and Haryana got 35.96 lt against 35.99 lt year-ago, official data show.
Chhattisgarh has reported 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 29.8 per cent higher purchase at 52.07 lt against 40.12 lt and Maharashtra 2.9 per cent up at 6.74 lt from 6.55 lt. Bihar reported 5 per cent lower at 24.96 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 123.93 million tonnes (mt), up by 1 per cent from 122.77 mt year-ago. The rabi-grown rice output is pegged at 16.72 mt from 16.13 mt in 2024-25.