10 lakh MT rice moved out, FCI clears Punjab godowns for kharif crops

The wheat procurement season is over but it is now the busiest time for the Food Corporation of India.

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Not only is the central food procurement agency involved in receiving the milled rice to avoid a situation like last year, it is also busy dispatching the rice from Punjab’s godowns to other states to make space for coming kharif produce.

According to information available with The Tribune, 10 lakh metric tonnes of rice was transferred from Punjab’s godowns to the recipient states in May.

For the ongoing month, another 14 LMT of rice will be delivered to FCI godowns outside of Punjab.

“We are working to ensure that there is enough space created for receiving the rice deliveries for next produce, which will start coming in December. Till December, an average 8-10 LMT of rice is sent out to other states each month,” said B Srinivasan, General Manager of FCI, Punjab Region.

The central food agency has already received 96 LMT of rice (82 per cent of targeted delivery) against the paddy procured in 2024 and now milled by rice mills.

Srinivasan said they should be able to receive all rice from the millers by July-end. As a result, the millers will not have any problem in receiving the paddy for the upcoming season.

Last year, there was no space to store rice as the godowns were full.

The rice millers had refused to accept paddy in October, saying they had no space to keep the produce till the previous year’s rice was lifted from their mills.

As of date, the godowns in Punjab have free space to accommodate only 7 LMT of foodgrain. While 96 LMT of rice has been delivered this year, the godowns also have 60 LMT of old rice stocks.

Other than this, 100 LMT of wheat is also kept in covered and plinth storage.

Wheat does not have to be moved as urgently as rice as it is stored scientifically in the open. Rice is stored in the godowns and has to be moved out as next year’s rice has to be stored in the same godowns.