Punjab/Chandigarh: As government paddy procurement begins in Punjab under the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS 2026-27), a severe shortage of storage space has emerged as a major challenge. Large stockpiles of older grain lying in state godowns, rice mills, and grain markets are creating serious difficulties in handling the new incoming crop. Taking note of the critical situation, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written an urgent letter to Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi, strongly requesting the immediate movement of old grain stocks to other states.

The Chief Minister has appealed to the central government to move at least 6 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice out of Punjab through special freight trains by October 10. In addition, he urged the Centre to ensure the evacuation of 15 lakh metric tonnes of wheat across the month of October. In total, the Punjab government has sought the immediate clearance of 21 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains to create space for the incoming paddy crop in warehouses and mills.

Volume of grain held up in Punjab warehouses and mills:

According to the letter sent by the Chief Minister, nearly 40 lakh metric tonnes of wheat is currently occupying storage space in rice mills and mandi yards. Out of this, around 17 lakh metric tonnes of wheat was still lying on site as of September 29. Furthermore, delivery of Custom Milled Rice (CMR) from the previous season, KMS 2025-26, has not been fully cleared. Official data shows that out of 105.64 lakh metric tonnes of rice, 99.50 lakh metric tonnes (around 94 percent) had been delivered to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) by September 29, leaving about 6 lakh metric tonnes of rice still held in mills.

Impact on new paddy procurement and farmers:

Paddy procurement for the new season officially started in Punjab on October 1, and peak arrivals in grain markets are expected around October 10. Chief Minister Mann expressed concern that if the older rice and wheat stocks are not moved out immediately, storage space across rice mills and mandi yards will be exhausted. This could lead to distress for farmers arriving with their produce at grain markets and bring the milling process of sheller owners to a halt.

Slow movement of grain during September:

According to details shared by the Punjab government, grain evacuation by the Centre remained very slow throughout September. Between September 1 and September 29, only 8.30 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 4.30 lakh metric tonnes of wheat were moved out of Punjab. This fell far short of the Punjab government's request to move 15 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 10 to 12 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during the month.

The Chief Minister urged the central government to increase the number of railway rakes in the interest of farmers and commission agents (arhtiyas), clearing Punjab's warehouses so the procurement process can proceed smoothly without disruptions.