India's foodgrain reserves at 604L tons nearly triple buffer requirement

India May 06, 2026

India's foodgrain reserves have soared to 604 lakh tons as of April 1, 2026, nearly three times the official buffer requirement.
Most of this is rice (386 lakh tons) and wheat (218 lakh tons), both well above what's needed to keep things running smoothly.

Wheat maize prices below government support

These extra stocks help make sure beneficiaries of the Public Distribution System and welfare schemes gets their share through public distribution and welfare schemes, so there's no shortage anytime soon.
Meanwhile, harvesting is going strong this rabi season, but here's the catch: wheat and maize prices are actually below government support levels right now, which isn't great news for farmers.