India’s rice procurement for the 2025-26 marketing season has reached 99 per cent of the 575.52 lakh tonnes (lt) target, with purchases totalling 571.14 lt as of August 4 — 5 per cent higher than the 542.85 lt recorded in the same period a year earlier, according to The Hindu BusinessLine. Rabi-season buying jumped 18 per cent year-on-year to 86.71 lt, while kharif purchases have concluded across all states.
Procurement crosses target on rabi surge
The government fixed the 2025-26 rice purchase target at 485.95 lt from the kharif-grown crop and 89.57 lt from the rabi season, covering the October-September marketing year, The Hindu BusinessLine reported. Total procurement in 2024-25 from both kharif and rabi crops was 545.22 lt in rice terms. Official data cited by the report put actual procurement at 571.14 lt until August 4, versus 542.85 lt in the year-ago period. Kharif-grown rice purchases are complete in all states, while rabi crop procurement will continue until September 30.
Rabi buying up 18 per cent, led by Telangana
Rabi rice procurement rose to 86.71 lt from 73.45 lt a year ago — an 18 per cent increase, according to The Hindu BusinessLine. The Centre’s rabi season target (April-September) allocates a maximum 43 lt from Telangana, followed by 14 lt from Tamil Nadu, 11 lt from Odisha and 10 lt from Andhra Pradesh. The data show purchases from the rabi crop so far include 42.69 lt from Telangana, 13.20 lt from Tamil Nadu, 11.83 lt from Andhra Pradesh and 11.04 lt from Odisha.
| State | Rabi target (lt) | Actual purchases (lt) |
|---|---|---|
| Telangana | 43 | 42.69 |
| Tamil Nadu | 14 | 13.20 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 10 | 11.83 |
| Odisha | 11 | 11.04 |
Punjab slips, Haryana revised higher
Punjab, the top rice contributor to the Central Pool, purchased 104.86 lt in 2025-26 — 9.7 per cent lower than the 116.13 lt a year ago, The Hindu BusinessLine reported. Haryana’s procurement data was revised upward to 41.58 lt from a previous 35.96 lt after the state government requested the Centre to take the extra grain procured. In 2024-25, procurement from Haryana stood at 36.17 lt.
Production estimates and monsoon risk
The Agriculture Ministry has said rice production in the 2025-26 kharif season is estimated at 124.76 million tonnes (mt), up from 122.77 mt a year ago. Rabi rice output is pegged at 18.11 mt against 16.13 mt in 2024-25, and the summer (zaid) harvest is estimated at 11.16 mt from 11.28 mt, the report said. Paddy acreage is down a marginal 2 per cent so far, “creating hope of another bumper harvest, unless there is large monsoon deficiency during August-September,” according to The Hindu BusinessLine.
Season transition and early arrivals
Rice marketing season begins from October, and the procurement period varies from state to state depending on the cropping pattern, the report said. As the new marketing season opens on October 1, the government may have to fast-dispose of its stocks before the next purchase for the 2026-27 marketing season, also starting October 1. Due to early arrival of paddy this year, the Centre allowed procuring agencies in Punjab and Haryana to begin purchase from mid-September and in Tamil Nadu from September 1. Though purchase is a continuous process, the transfer of grains to the Central Pool sometimes gets delayed and is reflected later on the record.
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