New Delhi, March 7 The government has set the wheat procurement target at 30.3 million tonnes for the 2026-27 Rabi Marketing Season (RMS), according to an official statement.
The target was finalized at a meeting of State Food Secretaries, chaired by the Secretary in the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), here on Friday.
Most of the wheat procurement takes place between April and June, while other crops are procured throughout the season until March.
Paddy procurement for 2025-26 (Rabi crop) has been estimated at 7.6 million tonnes in rice equivalent, while approximately 779,000 tonnes of coarse grains, including millets (Shri Anna), has also been estimated for procurement by states.
Wheat production is expected to exceed last year's record of 117.94 million tonnes, potentially reaching 120 million tonnes, due to record sowing across 33.41 million hectares and favorable weather conditions.
The Food Corporation of India's (FCI) wheat stocks are projected at around 18.2 million tonnes as of April 1, 2026, ensuring adequate supply for domestic needs.
India lifted a four-year ban on wheat and wheat product exports in February, approving an initial shipment allowance of 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and 500,000 tonnes of wheat products.
The government is also running a pilot program in five states to supply improved rice with up to 10% broken grains. A QR code tagging pilot on foodgrain packaging has been successfully completed in Andhra Pradesh, with further rollouts planned in other states.
