Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Breaking: Punjab CM Mann writes to Prahlad Joshi, seeks urgent lifting of rice, wheat stocks
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, October 2, 2026: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi, seeking urgent movement of foodgrain stocks from the state ahead of the peak paddy arrival season.
In his letter, Mann requested the Centre to facilitate the movement of 6 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice between October 1 and 10 and 15 LMT of wheat during October to create adequate storage space for procurement and milling operations during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2026-27.
Mann said Punjab had earlier requested the Centre to facilitate the movement of 15 LMT of rice and 10–12 LMT of wheat during September 2026. However, only 8.30 LMT of rice and 4.30 LMT of wheat had been moved out of the state between September 1 and 29.
The Chief Minister said the state was facing a persistent shortage of storage space with the Food Corporation of India (FCI), resulting in only 99.50 LMT (94 per cent) of the 105.64 LMT Custom Milled Rice (CMR) due for KMS 2025-26 being delivered as of September 29. Nearly 6 LMT of rice was still pending.
With KMS 2026-27 having commenced from October 1 and peak paddy arrivals expected around October 10, Mann said the pending rice stocks needed to be moved urgently to prevent carryover of paddy and avoid storage-related complications.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the storage pressure caused by wheat stocks. According to his letter, nearly 40 LMT of wheat procured during RMS 2026-27 had been stored at rice mills and mandi yards because of inadequate storage space. Around 17 LMT of this wheat was still lying at these locations as of September 29.
Mann warned that if these stocks were not moved out, the lack of space could affect the unloading of farmers’ produce at mandis and leave rice mills without adequate capacity to store and mill paddy during the new procurement season.
He said the situation could disrupt smooth procurement operations and potentially lead to law and order concerns in the state during the peak arrival period.
Mann also pointed out that Punjab had been requesting the Centre since June 2026 to facilitate the movement of at least 10 LMT of wheat and rice every month. However, the actual movement remained below the requested level.
As per the figures cited by the Chief Minister, 6.55 LMT of rice and 5.36 LMT of wheat were moved in June; 6.70 LMT of rice and 4.90 LMT of wheat in July; 7.70 LMT of rice and 5.02 LMT of wheat in August; and 8.30 LMT of rice and 4.30 LMT of wheat between September 1 and 29.
Mann has sought Joshi’s personal intervention and requested directions to the Department of Food and Public Distribution and FCI headquarters to ensure the requested movement of rice and wheat during October.
The Chief Minister said timely clearance of storage space was essential for ensuring smooth procurement and milling operations during KMS 2026-27.