CM Bhagwant Mann asks Centre to urgently lift rice, wheat stocks from Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has again written to Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi, seeking urgent movement of foodgrain stocks from the state ahead of the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2026-27.

In his letter, Mann sought the movement of 6 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice between October 1 and 10 and 15 LMT of wheat during October, warning that inadequate storage space could disrupt paddy procurement and lead to a law and order situation in the state during the peak arrival period.advertisement❮❯ Read Full StoryMANN SEEKS 6 LMT RICE, 15 LMT WHEAT MOVEMENTMann referred to his earlier letter dated September 5, in which he had requested the Centre to facilitate the movement of 15 LMT of rice and 10-12 LMT of wheat during September. The aim was to complete the delivery of rice from KMS 2025-26 and clear wheat stocks stored in rice mills and mandi yards before the new procurement season began.

However, only 8.30 LMT of rice and 4.30 LMT of wheat were moved out of Punjab between September 1 and 29.

The movement of foodgrains from Punjab remained slow in the preceding months. Rice movement stood at 6.55 LMT in June, 6.70 LMT in July, 7.70 LMT in August and 8.30 LMT till September 29. Wheat movement during the same period stood at 5.36 LMT, 4.90 LMT, 5.02 LMT and 4.30 LMT, respectively.

Mann said persistent shortage of storage space with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had affected the delivery of Custom Milled Rice from KMS 2025-26.

As of September 29, 99.50 LMT, or 94 per cent, of the total due quantity of 105.64 LMT had been delivered to FCI. Nearly 6 LMT of rice was still pending.

With the new Kharif Marketing Season commencing on October 1 and peak paddy arrivals expected around October 10, Mann stressed the need to complete the pending rice delivery by then.

He said timely movement was necessary to avoid the carry-over of balance paddy stocks into the next Kharif season and prevent complications in stock accounting and the recycling of paddy and rice.

The Chief Minister also said delays in milling had already caused unrest among rice millers. He warned that if rice delivery extended beyond mid-October, millers might not come forward for the storage and milling of paddy, potentially causing unrest among other stakeholders, particularly farmers.17 LMT WHEAT STILL STORED IN MILLS, MANDI YARDS

Mann also highlighted the shortage of wheat storage capacity in Punjab.

Nearly 40 LMT of wheat procured during the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2026-27 was stored at rice mills and mandi yards, with the expectation that the stocks would be moved by the end of September or by mid-October.

However, due to the slow pace of wheat liquidation from June to September, nearly 17 LMT of RMS 2026-27 wheat was still lying in rice mills and mandi yards as of September 29.

Mann said the wheat stocks needed to be moved urgently during October to create space for the procurement and storage of paddy during KMS 2026-27.

He warned that if the wheat stocks remained in place, farmers could face difficulty unloading their produce in mandis due to lack of space. The shortage could also leave rice mills without adequate space to store paddy, disrupting procurement operations.'LAW AND ORDER SITUATION' WARNING

The Punjab Chief Minister said continued space constraints could also prevent rice millers from coming forward for the allotment, storage and milling of paddy during KMS 2026-27.

Given the expected peak arrival of paddy, Mann warned that the situation could lead to a law and order situation in Punjab, which he described as a sensitive border state.

Mann therefore requested Joshi to personally intervene and direct officials of the Department of Food and Public Distribution and FCI headquarters to facilitate the movement of 6 LMT of rice from October 1 to 10 and 15 LMT of wheat during October.

He said the movement was necessary to ensure smooth procurement operations during KMS 2026-27 and avoid any untoward situation in the state.- Ends

Kamaljit Sandhu is an award winning journalist working as Deputy Editor in India Today. She has nearly two decades of experience as a full time TV journalist. She covers "conflict" regions, Internal security matters, MEA and Parliament. Her work has often led to crisscrossing the country. She has also traveled to Pakistan and Iran, in pursuit of news stories. In 2019, she received the ENBA Award for best news programming for her ground report on "surviving Bastar" which was based on the government's policy on inducting tribals in Crpf in chattisgarh to counter naxals.

Personal interests: Kamaljit likes travelling, interior decoration and playing scrabble, Has varied interests in sporting activities like swimming, badminton and Yoga.