Chandigarh
“The procurement scenario seems tougher this season, as we have been signalled by the Union ministry that the crop beyond the defined quota will not be accepted. The state government’s concerns have been heightened by the Centre’s handling of excess paddy procurement in Haryana during the previous season. The Centre’s refusal to accept the additional quantity has served as a warning for Punjab, which is now preparing to manage a potentially similar situation.
The state’s total non-basmati paddy production — which is procured by government agencies for the public distribution system — is expected to exceed 220 lakh tonnes this season. Given the historical trend of around 90% of the total production reaching mandis for procurement, the quantity arriving in the markets could surpass the Centre’s approved quota, putting pressure on the state’s procurement machinery and finances. Against a quota of 36 lakh tonnes, Haryana procured 62 lakh tonnes in 2025, exceeding its approved limit by 26 lakh tonnes. Initially, the Centre had fixed Punjab’s procurement target at 156 lakh tonnes, equivalent to the quantity procured during the previous season. Following representations by the state government, the Centre considered the average procurement over three years and revised the target to 171 lakh tonnes. “According to the results of crop-cutting experiments, the production is 67.35 quintals against last season’s production of 58.6 quintals per hectare. We are expecting a bumper harvest of 220 lakh tonnes or maybe more,” Punjab agriculture director Gurjeet Singh Brar said. Punjab cultivated paddy over 32.76 lakh hectares during the current kharif season. Of this, approximately 6.5 lakh hectares were under premium basmati varieties, which are not procured by government agencies for the public distribution system. Consequently, around 26.25 lakh hectares fall under the non-basmati paddy area generally covered by government procurement at the MSP.
We hope to stay within the limits; otherwise, we will seek an extension,” a senior official in the Punjab food and civil supplies department said. PAU director of extension Makhan Singh Bhullar said increased paddy production creates additional challenges for the government.
Punjab is heading towards a challenging paddy procurement season, with the state’s expected production likely to exceed the procurement quota of 180 lakh tonne fixed by the Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.
