Stories
Punjab CM Urges Urgent Lifting of 15 LMT Wheat, 6 LMT Rice to Prevent Storage Crisis
- •Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has requested the Centre to urgently move 15 LMT of wheat and 6 LMT of rice from the state.
- •The demand comes amid a severe shortage of storage space ahead of the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2026-27.
- •Only 8.30 LMT of rice and 4.30 LMT of wheat were moved in September, despite earlier requests for larger quantities.
- •Nearly 17 LMT of wheat is still occupying space in rice mills and mandi yards, hindering paddy procurement.
- •Mann warns that delayed movement could lead to unrest among millers and farmers, disrupting procurement operations.
Key Questions Answered
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wrote to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi requesting the immediate movement of 6 lakh metric tonnes of rice between October 1 and October 10, and 15 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during October 2026 to clear storage space for the upcoming Kharif Marketing Season.
Persistent storage space shortages with the Food Corporation of India left previous crop stocks occupying rice mills and mandi yards. Moving these stocks is urgently required to create space for the procurement and storage of incoming paddy, with peak arrivals expected around October 10.
Mann warned that delays in milling are causing unrest among millers, and if rice delivery extends beyond mid-October, millers may refuse to handle future paddy storage and milling. This scenario could create widespread unrest among other stakeholders, particularly farmers, and disrupt procurement operations.
