Government targets record offloading of 10.5 million tonnes (105 lakh tonnes) of rice
20-Feb-2026 05:59 PM
Government targets record offloading of 10.5 million tonnes (105 lakh tonnes) of rice
The central government is planning to offload 105 lakh tonnes of rice in the current fiscal year through open market sales, liberal allocations to states, ethanol production, and the Bharat Rice initiative.
In FY 2025–26 so far, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has offloaded a total of 93.9 lakh tonnes of rice, including:
13.9 lakh tonnes via open market sales, 34.2 lakh tonnes allocated to states, 44.9 lakh tonnes for ethanol production, 0.6 lakh tonnes under the Bharat Rice initiative
Rice stocks in the central pool continue to rise. Current stock levels exceed 340 lakh tonnes, compared to the buffer requirement of 135.8 lakh tonnes for April 1.
Additionally, more than 400 lakh tonnes of rice from millers is yet to be added to the stock, which could further increase inventory pressure.
Compared to previous years, offloading this year is significantly higher:
FY25: 46.3 lakh tonnes
FY24: 15.4 lakh tonnes
FY23: 17.8 lakh tonnes
If stocks are not brought under control, carrying costs are likely to increase, putting pressure on food subsidy expenses. The government has already raised the food subsidy allocation for FY26 from ₹2.03 lakh crore to ₹2.28 lakh crore.
Under PMGKAY, around 360–380 lakh tonnes of rice and 180–200 lakh tonnes of wheat distributed annually to nearly 800 million people as free rations.
At the same time, procurement at MSP remains high at 750–800 lakh tonnes annually, leading to continued stock accumulation.
The key challenge for the government now is to manage rising stock levels effectively to contain storage costs and subsidy burden.