CM Bhagwant Mann Writes to Centre Demanding Immediate Evacuation of 21 Lakh MT Grain
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With the crucial Kharif paddy procurement season getting underway across Punjab, agrarian wholesale markets (mandis) and commercial sheller complexes are grappling with an acute storage crunch that threatens to bottleneck the state's grain supply chain. Sounding an urgent alarm before market arrivals peak, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann dispatched an official SOS letter to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prahlad Joshi on Saturday, October 3, 2026, demanding the expedited evacuation of 21 lakh metric tonnes (2.1 million MT) of grain by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). The state's formal requisition seeks the time-bound lifting of 6 lakh MT of rice between October 1 and October 10, alongside the dispatch of 15 lakh MT of central pool wheat throughout October, warning that if existing buffer stocks remain stacked inside regional yards, arriving farmers will face logistical chaos and market blockades.
Choked Mandis and Rice Mills: 1.7 Million MT Unsold Wheat Clogs Crucial Storage Space
The root cause of the storage bottleneck lies in the massive backlog of unliquidated grain taking up physical warehouse space:
Accumulation of Wheat Stockpiles: The Chief Minister noted that approximately 40 lakh metric tonnes of wheat had originally been accommodated inside commercial rice mills and state procurement yards; of this volume, nearly 17 lakh metric tonnes (1.7 million MT) continues to languish unlifted.
Severe Space Constraints for Fresh Harvest: As combine harvesters accelerate across the Malwa, Majha, and Doaba belts, incoming arrivals of fresh paddy require immediate yard staging; without rapid evacuation, rice mills lack the floor space to store and process incoming consignments.
Risk to Smallholder Farmers: CM Mann emphasized that an unaddressed deficit of covered plinths and mill capacity risks disrupting smooth procurement, potentially forcing farmers into prolonged, distressing delays at market gates.
Sub-Par Central Evacuation: September Grain Lifting Falls Far Below State Demand
Reviewing freight movements over the monsoon months, the state government highlighted widening gaps between monthly demand and actual railway evacuation:
Inadequate September Clearance: Despite formal representations submitted by Punjab requesting the evacuation of at least 10 lakh MT of wheat and 10 lakh MT of rice every month since June, the central agency cleared only 8.30 lakh MT of rice and 4.30 lakh MT of wheat between September 1 and September 29.
Monthly Freight Movement Trajectory: Cumulative inter-state dispatches showed 11.91 lakh MT of grain evacuated in June, 11.60 lakh MT in July, 12.72 lakh MT in August, and 12.60 lakh MT up to September 29, falling short of the accelerated velocity needed ahead of harvest season.
FCI Railhead Operations: The Punjab administration has urged the Ministry to direct senior FCI officials to allocate additional dedicated freight rakes daily to clear bottlenecks before regional logistics freeze.
Pending 6 Lakh MT Milled Rice Delivery: Peak Mandi Influx Expected by October 10
Compounding the crisis is the operational overhang from the previous agricultural marketing year:
Delivery Backlog from Kharif 2025–26: Under the Custom Milled Rice (CMR) target of 105.64 lakh MT allocated for the 2025–26 marketing year, Punjab millers had delivered 99.50 lakh MT (94 percent) to the central pool as of September 29, leaving an outstanding balance of 6 lakh MT awaiting warehouse handover.
October 10 Peak Deadline: Daily farm arrivals of raw paddy are projected to hit their seasonal crescendo around October 10, 2026; if millers are unable to deposit old custom-milled stocks, they cannot accept fresh paddy from farmers.
Direct Appeal to Union Ministry: Urging immediate central intervention, Mann reiterated that preserving uninterrupted foodgrain procurement requires FCI to clear pending rice consignments and execute the movement of 21 lakh MT of grains without further bureaucratic delay.
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