15 Dec 2025
New Delhi: Government procurement of rice has crossed 19.4 million tonnes during the first two months of the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025–26, supported by strong buying in southern states, even as procurement remained subdued in key northern producers such as Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
According to official data, total national procurement during October–November 2025 stood at 19.414 million tonnes, marking a 12.7 percent increase over 17.224 million tonnes procured during the same period last year.
Procurement operations began earlier than usual this season due to early arrivals of paddy in Punjab and Haryana, with buying starting in mid-September. In Tamil Nadu, procurement commenced on September 1.
Despite being the largest contributor to the central food grain pool, Punjab’s procurement declined by about 4 percent year-on-year. The state procured 10.48 million tonnes of rice during the period, compared with 10.917 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year.
In contrast, Haryana recorded a sharp rise in procurement, which increased by 30.4 percent to 3.596 million tonnes, up from 2.758 million tonnes last year.
Officials noted that these figures are provisional and subject to revision. During the entire KMS 2024–25, Punjab and Haryana procured 11.613 million tonnes and 3.617 million tonnes of rice, respectively.
For the ongoing KMS 2025–26, the Central Government has set a national procurement target of 46.349 million tonnes, including 11.6 million tonnes from Punjab and 3.6 million tonnes from Haryana. In comparison, total national procurement during KMS 2024–25 stood at 54.522 million tonnes.
Procurement in Uttar Pradesh has declined significantly, falling by around 19 percent to 0.605 million tonnes from 0.745 million tonnes in the same period last year. A marginal decline was also recorded in Chhattisgarh, where procurement slipped to 0.663 million tonnes from 0.677 million tonnes.
Procurement in Chhattisgarh began on November 1, 2025, and will continue until January 31, 2026.
Meanwhile, southern states—notably Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu—have reported a substantial increase in paddy and rice procurement, helping offset lower volumes in some northern states.
West Bengal has also emerged as a contributor this season, having procured 0.293 million tonnes of rice, whereas procurement had not commenced there during the same period last year.
Overall, officials said the rise in early-season procurement reflects stronger participation by southern states and early arrivals, though regional disparities in procurement performance remain evident.