Govt targets record 709 lakh tonnes of paddy procurement for Kharif season
India has set a 708.64 LMT paddy procurement target for KMS 2026-27, alongside 18.85 LMT for coarse grains. Rice quality norms are tightening, with broken-grain limits reduced to 10% for raw rice and 5% for parboiled rice. AI-based procurement verification and online stock checks will also be introduced.
The Centre has set a paddy procurement target of 708.64 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) for the 2026-27 Kharif Marketing Season (KMS), following consultations with states and Union Territories.
The target was finalised at a meeting chaired by the Union Food Secretary with state Food Secretaries and officials from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), where procurement, public distribution and foodgrain storage were reviewed.
Stricter rice quality norms from this season
The meeting also reviewed the rollout of Improved Rice under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes.Under the revised procurement policy, the permissible limit for broken grains in raw rice has been reduced to 10% from 25%, while the limit for parboiled rice has been tightened to 5% from 16%.
The new standards will take effect from KMS 2026-27 and will be introduced in phases across procuring states. States have been asked to assess milling capacity, upgrade infrastructure where required and prepare phased implementation plans.
Coarse grain procurement to remain strong
The Centre has estimated procurement of 18.85 LMT of coarse grains during the 2026-27 Kharif season.Officials noted that procurement of coarse grains, millets and minor millets touched a five-year high of 16.38 LMT in 2025-26, reflecting growing procurement under the government’s nutrition and millet initiatives.
AI to be introduced in procurement checks
The meeting also reviewed progress under the Procurement Centre Smart Assessment Portal (PCSAP), with AI-based image validation set to be introduced from KMS 2026-27 to strengthen verification at procurement centres.States were also briefed on plans to introduce online physical verification of paddy stocks at the end of the procurement season under the Joint Physical Verification (JPV) system.
States recognised for best practices
The Centre recognised four states for their performance in key procurement initiatives:
– Andhra Pradesh: Best implementation of the Improved Rice scheme
– Punjab: Best performance in Joint Physical Verification and PCSAP
– Karnataka: Excellence in procurement of Shree Anna (millets)
– Chhattisgarh: First state to implement AgriStack in paddy procurement
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Source : CNBC Tv18
