Foodgrain stocks adequate, fertilisers and edible oil availability strong and stable: Centre
New Delhi, June 1
The country has comfortable foodgrain stocks, and the availability of edible oils remains adequate, supported by regular imports, domestic production, and existing stocks, the government said on Monday, adding that fertiliser security also remains strong and stable, with availability consistently exceeding requirements across all major fertilisers.
As of May 28, wheat stock in the Central Pool stood at 513 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) against the prescribed buffer norm of 275.80 LMT for July 1.
Wheat procurement during the current Rabi Marketing Season has reached approximately 350 LMT, and procurement operations continue up to June 30, the Department of Consumer Affairs said during an inter-ministerial briefing here.
Rice stock in the Central Pool stood at 397 LMT against the prescribed buffer norm of 135.40 LMT for July 1. In addition, around 298 LMT of procured paddy is yet to be milled and added to rice stocks, the government informed.
Domestic availability of edible oils remains adequate. Imports continue from major supplying countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia (palm oil), Russia and Ukraine (sunflower oil), and Argentina and Brazil (soybean oil).
The government said it is in regular consultation with stakeholders and is monitoring supply and price trends. Sugar availability in the country remains adequate to meet domestic consumption requirements. Stocks and production levels are sufficient to ensure continued domestic market availability.
According to the Department of Fertilisers, nearly 132.43 LMT of fertilisers, through imports and Domestic production, have been added to availability after the crisis situation.
"India has already secured about 25 LMT Urea, 15 LMT DAP, and 10 LMT NPKs, including AS (Ammonium Sulfate) from out of SOH to arrive at Indian ports in June-July. India has issued another global tender for the procurement of 17 LMT Urea, which is in progress," informed the government.
Despite challenges, India achieved domestic urea production of about 25.17 LMT in May, up by 2.80 LMT from May 2025. India also achieved domestic production of 3.86 LMT of DAP on May 26, which is 2,000 MT higher than May 2025 production.
Meanwhile, the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0 targets a total additional credit flow of Rs 2,55,000 crore (including Rs 5,000 crore for airlines) to extend additional credit support to eligible business borrowers in view of the West Asia situation.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While the buffer stock numbers are impressive, I hope this translates to stable prices at the local kirana store. In my area, edible oil prices have not come down despite all these assurances. The government needs to ensure supply chains are smooth all the way to the consumer. Still, it's a step in the right direction.
As a farmer from Punjab, I'm relieved about the fertiliser availability. Last year during kharif season, we faced DAP shortages and had to pay premium rates. Now with 132 LMT additional fertiliser stock, maybe we can avoid that chaos. Just hope the tender process is transparent. 🌾
Domestic urea production up by 2.80 LMT in May is commendable! We've been talking about self-reliance in fertilisers for decades. This is a small but positive step towards reducing dependency on imports. Jai Kisaan! 👨🌾
The Centre says edible oil imports are continuing from Indonesia and Malaysia, but what about the price of palm oil in the market? Last week, it was ₹170 per litre in my city. With Pongal coming up, we need these assurances to become reality. Hope the inter-ministerial team monitors actual retail prices too.
Good that they mentioned sugar stocks—I was worried after the global sugar price surge. But honestly, I'm more concerned about pulses and dal prices. Those are the real protein source for millions of vegetarians in India. We need similar buffer norms for tur, urad, and moong. 🤔
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