Government Rice Stock Rises Despite Strong OMSS Sales

26-Aug-2025 11:03 AM

New Delhi. Despite good sales under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS), better allocation to the states and continued lifting by ethanol manufacturers, the stock of government rice in the central pool is increasing.

Now the government has allocated a quota of 5 lakh tonnes of rice to its agencies for sale under the Bharat brand and its sale is going to start soon. Auction sale of rice under OMSS has started from August 6.

Last year, a record sale of 46.30 lakh tonnes of rice was made under OMSS, while current indications show that the current year's sale may surpass that.

According to informed sources, during the financial year 2025-26, 41.90 lakh tonnes of subsidized rice has been lifted in various items so far, but still there is a huge stock of more than 530 lakh tonnes of rice in the central pool, which is more than four times the minimum buffer quantity of 102.50 lakh tonnes fixed for October 1.

This also includes 140 lakh tonnes of rice which is to be received by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from rice millers.

In other words, there is a stock of paddy equivalent to this rice available which has been given to the millers for custom milling. The problem does not end here.

From the coming October (2025), the new crop of paddy will be purchased in large quantities from the farmers by its partner provincial agencies at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and it will be again allotted to the rice millers.

In return, the millers will start supplying rice to the Food Corporation from November. This will increase the stock of rice in the central pool and a serious problem of its safe storage may arise.

There are indications of an increase in paddy production area this time, which may increase rice production. Usually, government agencies purchase between 520-530 lakh tonnes of rice every year. Whereas under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, 360-380 lakh tonnes of rice is procured (required).