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Informist, Friday, Apr. 17, 2026

 

--FCI: Apr 1 rice stocks 38.6 mln tn vs 38.2 mln yr ago, 36.5 mln month ago 

--FCI: Apr 1 wheat stocks 21.8 mln tn vs 11.8 mln yr ago, 23.6 mln month ago 

--FCI: Total food grain stocks 60.4 mln tn as on Apr 1 vs 50 mln year ago 

 

MUMBAI – Food Corp. of India held 21.8 million tonnes of wheat stocks as of Apr. 1, up nearly 85% on year, according to the Department of Food and Public Distribution. However, the stocks were down nearly 8% from 23.6 million tonnes as on Mar. 1, the data showed.

 

The current wheat stocks are well above the buffer norms for the current quarter. According to norms, minimum wheat stocks for Apr-Jun should be nearly 7.5 million tonnes, which includes an operational stock of 4.46 million tonnes and a strategic reserve of 3.0 million tonnes. The government sets the buffer requirement of food grains for every quarter, and FCI has to maintain the mandated level.

 

Market participants and experts had estimated wheat stocks with Food Corp. of India as on Apr. 1 at 20–23 million tonnes. The month-on-month fall is attributed largely to the government selling wheat through the public distribution system and delays in procurement of the new rabi crop, they said.

 

Rice stocks as of Apr. 1 in the central pool were 38.6 million tonnes, up more than 1% from 38.2 million tonnes a year ago, the data showed. Stocks of the grain also rose nearly 6% from 36.5 million tonnes in the previous month. Current rice stocks are at a record high since 1998, surpassing the previous high seen in April last year.

 

The current rice stocks are far above the buffer norm of about 13.6 million tonnes, including operational stock of 11.58 million tonnes and strategic reserve of 2.00 million tonnes.

 

Total food grain stocks with FCI as of Apr. 1 were 60.4 million tonnes, up from 50.0 million tonnes a year ago. As of Mar. 1, food grain stocks with the agency were at 60.1 million tonnes, according to the data. The corporation stores essential food grains to ensure food security and to check prices by releasing its stocks through auctions under the open market sales scheme.  End

 

Reported by Shreya Shetty

Edited by Ashish Shirke

 

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