Government fixes wheat procurement target at 30.3mn tonne for 2026-27

“The government has fixed the wheat procurement target at 30.3 million tonne for the 2026-27 Rabi Marketing Season (RMS),” as per an official statement.

The target was finalised at a meeting of State Food Secretaries chaired by the Secretary in Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), in New Delhi on Friday (March 6, 2026).

Much of the wheat procurement is undertaken between April and June, while other crops through the season till March.

Paddy procurement for 2025-26 (Rabi crop) has been estimated at 7.6 million tonne in rice equivalent, while around 7,79,000 tonne of coarse grains including millets (Shri Anna) has also been estimated for procurement by States.

Wheat output is expected to surpass last year’s record 117.94 million tonne, potentially touching 120 million tonne, on the back of record sowing across 33.41 million hectares and favourable weather conditions.

The Food Corporation of India’s (FCI) wheat stocks are projected at around 18.2 million tonne as of April 1, 2026, ensuring adequate supply for domestic requirements.

India in February lifted a four-year ban on wheat and wheat product exports, approving an initial shipment allowance of 2.5 million tonne of wheat and 5,00,000 tonne of wheat products.

The government is also running a pilot in five States for supply of improved rice with up to 10% broken grains. A QR code tagging pilot on food grain packaging has been successfully completed in Andhra Pradesh, with further rollouts in other States in the pipeline.