The Karnataka government's request to the Centre has led to an increase in the rice procurement target at the national level. Initially, the state had set a procurement target of 1.5 lakh tons for the central pool, but the state now estimates that it could procure as much as 5 lakh tons.

As a result, the Centre has approved this request and raised the national procurement target from 492.11 lakh tons to 495.61 lakh tons.

Currently, rice procurement in northern states such as Punjab and Haryana has concluded, and custom milled rice is being supplied to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from rice millers.

In other states like Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Odisha, the procurement process is expected to conclude this month.

In Punjab, the government’s rice procurement has decreased by 6.4% compared to last year, from 124.31 lakh tons to 116.31 lakh tons. In Haryana, it has dropped from 39.49 lakh tons to 35.99 lakh tons. Despite this, the procurement targets for these states were set at 124 lakh tons for Punjab and 40 lakh tons for Haryana.

On the other hand, government rice procurement has seen an increase in Chhattisgarh, with a 15% rise in the quantity procured, totaling 70 lakh tons by January 31, 2025, compared to 60.97 lakh tons in the previous year.

Farmers in Chhattisgarh are also receiving an additional bonus above the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2325 per quintal for paddy.

Similarly, other states like Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh have seen increased procurement, with Telangana’s procurement up 13%, Uttar Pradesh’s up 7%, and Madhya Pradesh’s up 3%.