India's food grain reserves have surged to nearly three times the required buffer stock, raising questions about market prices and procurement strategies.
The government's wheat and rice reserves held in Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns rose to 604.02 lakh tonnes as of April 1, nearly three times the mandatory buffer requirement of 210.40 lakh tonnes, official data showed.
Rice stocks stood at 386.10 lakh tonnes, well above the buffer norm of 135.80 lakh tonnes, while wheat reserves were at 217.92 lakh tonnes against the required 74.60 lakh tonnes.
Buffer norms are revised quarterly - the current figures apply from April 1, with the next revision due on July 1.
The government maintains buffer stocks of wheat and rice to ensure adequate supply for beneficiaries of the Public Distribution System (PDS) and other food welfare schemes.
Procurement of wheat and rice from the 2026 rabi season is currently underway. About 97 per cent of the wheat sown area of 334.17 lakh hectare has been harvested, along with the completion of pulse harvesting.
Paddy harvesting stands at 59.32 per cent, concentrated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Wholesale prices of most rabi commodities are trading below the minimum support price (MSP), official data showed.
"All the commodities are currently going below MSP during the week ending May 1," an official said.
Wheat was trading at Rs 2,530 per quintal, 2.13 per cent below the MSP of Rs 2,585 per quintal. Paddy prices fell 3.17 per cent to Rs 2,294 per quintal from a year earlier. Maize prices declined 23.71 per cent to Rs 1,831 per quintal, against the MSP of Rs 2,400.
Wholesale prices of arhar, moong, bajra and sunflower were also trading below the support prices.