Paddy Procurement Falls 45% in Second Half of October, Season Total Also Likely to Decline

Procurement of paddy has been progressing at a significantly slower pace during the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season 2026-27, which runs from September 2026 to August 2027. According to data available on the Central Food Procurement Portal (CFPP) of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food, only 78.89 lakh metric tonnes of paddy were procured during the second half of October (October 14-31, 2026). This is the lowest procurement figure for the period in at least six years.

Procurement during the period accounted for just 55.44% of the quantity purchased during the corresponding period last year. In the second half of October 2025, 142.28 lakh tonnes of paddy were procured. This means procurement during the current year was nearly 45% lower than last year.

Moreover, the average procurement during October 14-31 over the five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26 stood at 127.70 lakh tonnes. Against this average, procurement during the current year was only 61.77%.

Since the Kharif Marketing Season began on September 1, 2026, a total of 116.46 lakh tonnes of paddy has been procured so far. During the entire previous season, 2025-26, procurement stood at 810.73 lakh tonnes. Paddy procurement generally continues until January-February.

Although procurement so far this year has largely been concentrated in Punjab and Haryana, the slow pace indicates that total procurement for the season could remain significantly lower than last year due to drought conditions.

Punjab has recorded the highest procurement in the current season, at 80.89 lakh tonnes. Procurement in the state began on October 1, with a target of 180 lakh tonnes for the entire season.

Haryana has procured 30.77 lakh tonnes of paddy so far. Procurement in the state began on September 29, and the target for the season has been set at 58 lakh tonnes. Tamil Nadu ranks third, with procurement of 4.30 lakh tonnes.

In Uttar Pradesh, procurement has so far reached 18,901 tonnes. The state government has set a target of procuring 65 lakh tonnes of paddy this season. Procurement began on October 15 in some areas, while it has started on November 1 in others. In Himachal Pradesh, procurement has reached 16,581 tonnes so far.

During the previous season (2025-26), Punjab recorded total paddy procurement of 156.50 lakh tonnes. It was followed by Chhattisgarh, with 141.04 lakh tonnes; Odisha, with 77.48 lakh tonnes; Telangana, with 71.86 lakh tonnes; Uttar Pradesh, with 62.30 lakh tonnes; Haryana, with 62.12 lakh tonnes; and Madhya Pradesh, with 51.71 lakh tonnes of procurement.