India’s rice procurement in the 2024-25 season (October-September) has reached 545.22 lakh tonnes (lt) until August 31, up from 525.22 lt a year ago. Due to higher procurement, the government is now planning a roadmap to dispose of as much surplus grain as possible. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has already allowed traders to buy a minimum of 1 tonne of rice directly from a depot at the reserve price.
According to the latest data, the current year’s rice procurement included about 474 lt from kharif-grown crop and about 71 lt from the rabi season. The target of procurement for kharif crop was 511.57 lt and that for rabi season was 73.23 lt.
In Tamil Nadu, where rice is also a key crop of the rabi season, the Centre has purchased 28.26 lt (from both seasons) against a target of 28.24 lt. Rice procurement in Telangana reached 71.25 lt against 63.86 lt a year ago. The target of 35 lt from the rabi season has been exceeded in Telangana, sources said.
Likely Interpretation of "4% in 11 Months until August"
While I didn’t find a direct reference to exactly a "4% increase in rice procurement over 11 months until August," the consistent 5% rise in procurement during the 2024–25 kharif season (which spans October to February/March) may be what the context intends to highlight. The difference may just be rounding or differing months/spans reported in various sources.
Context & Takeaways
- Despite the rise in procurement, India is now grappling with surplus stockpiles, demanding urgent policy measures for surplus disposal or export to ease storage and inflation pressures.
- The record stockpile of 59.5 million tonnes far exceeds buffer norms, spotlighting both the success of procurement systems and the challenge of excess.
- The upward procurement trend reflects strong output, especially in key states like Telangana, Odisha, Bihar, and UP...
