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Informist, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026

 

--FCI: Total food grain stocks 90.7 mln tn as on Aug 1 vs 72.6 mln year ago

--FCI: Aug 1 wheat stocks 50.5 mln tn vs 34.7 mln tn yr ago, 52.3 mln mo ago 

--FCI: Aug 1 rice stock 40.2 mln tn vs 38 mln tn yr ago, 40.3 mln tn mo ago

 

NEW DELHI – The Food Corp. of India opened August with slightly lower wheat and rice stocks than July, but remained substantially higher than year-ago levels. As of Aug. 1, wheat stocks declined 3.4% on month to 50.5 million tonnes and rice stocks fell 0.2% on month to 40.2 million tonnes. 

 

For wheat, stocks have been declining month-on-month in August and July, as the government ended procurement operations for the year in June. Typically, wheat stocks surge in June as stocks procured from farmers across the major wheat-producing states flow to the central pool. 

 

However, August wheat opening stock is up nearly 46% on year and at a five-year high due to robust procurement this year. For the 2026-27 rabi marketing season started April, the government purchased 35.76 million tonnes of wheat, up over 19% on year and exceeding the revised target of 34.60 million tonnes.

 

The current wheat stocks are also markedly higher than the buffer norms. According to buffer norms, minimum wheat stocks for Jul. 1 should be 27.58 million tonnes, including an operational stock of 24.58 million tonnes and a strategic reserve of 3.0 million tonnes. The government has set the buffer norm for the opening stock every third month and the next would be on Oct. 1. 

 

Rice stocks in the central pool as of Aug. 1 were at 40.2 million tonnes, down 0.2% on month but up nearly 6% on year, FCI data showed. The current rice stock levels are at a record high since 1998 amid strong procurement in recent years. The current rice stocks are also far above the buffer norm of 13.54 million tonnes for July opening stock, which includes an operational stock of 11.54 million tonnes and a strategic reserve of 2.0 million tonnes.

 

The central pool held 35.3 million tonnes of unmilled paddy as of Aug. 1, down from 38.7 million tonnes a month ago, the data showed. Stocks of coarse grains at the beginning of August were 958,000 tonnes, down from 1.0 million tonnes a month ago, the data showed.

 

Total food grain stocks with the FCI as of Aug. 1 were 92.6 million tonnes, down from 72.6 million tonnes recorded a year ago, according to the data. As of Jul. 1, food grain stocks with the agency were 92.6 million tonnes. 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 Afra Abubacker

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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