Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has asked the Centre to urgently move 21 lakh metric tonnes of rice and wheat out of the state before peak paddy arrivals, warning that limited storage capacity could disrupt procurement and create difficulties for farmers in mandis.
In a letter to Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi dated September 29, Mann sought the movement of 6 lakh metric tonnes of rice by October 10 and 15 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during October. Paddy procurement in Punjab officially began on October 1, while peak arrivals are expected around October 10.
The storage pressure is concentrated at rice mills and mandi yards, which are being used to hold foodgrain stocks. Mann said nearly 40 lakh metric tonnes of wheat procured during the 2026-27 Rabi Marketing Season had been stored at these locations because of inadequate storage space in the state. Of this quantity, around 17 lakh metric tonnes remained there as of the date of his letter.
The chief minister also said that only 99.50 lakh metric tonnes, or 94%, of the Custom Milled Rice due from the 2025-26 Kharif Marketing Season had been delivered to the Food Corporation of India by September 29. Against a due quantity of 105.64 lakh metric tonnes, nearly 6 lakh metric tonnes was still pending.
Mann said Punjab had earlier requested the movement of 15 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 10-12 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during September to complete delivery of the previous kharif season’s rice and clear wheat stocks from rice mills and mandi yards. However, only 8.3 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 4.3 lakh metric tonnes of wheat had moved out of the state between September 1 and 29.
The figures cited in the letter show that total wheat and rice movement from Punjab stood at 11.91 lakh metric tonnes in June, 11.60 lakh metric tonnes in July, 12.72 lakh metric tonnes in August and 12.60 lakh metric tonnes up to September 29. Punjab had been seeking at least 10 lakh metric tonnes of monthly movement from June 2026.
According to Mann, the shortage of space could affect both the physical handling of incoming paddy and the participation of rice millers in the procurement system. He said millers may be reluctant to accept, store or mill paddy if their premises remain occupied by wheat and earlier rice stocks.
The chief minister said delayed rice delivery was already causing unrest among millers and warned that delivery extending beyond mid-October could create difficulties for other stakeholders, particularly farmers. He also cautioned that inadequate space could prevent farmers from unloading their produce at mandis during the peak arrival period.
Mann has asked the Centre to ensure the movement of 6 lakh metric tonnes of rice between October 1 and 10 and to clear 15 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during October. The requested movement is intended to create storage capacity for paddy procurement during the 2026-27 Kharif Marketing Season.