The central government recently reviewed its foodgrain procurement system and public distribution system (PDS) reforms with states and Union territories, while setting procurement targets for wheat and paddy.
The secretary of the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), Government of India, chaired a meeting of state food secretaries on 6 March 2026 in Delhi to discuss key sector-related issues. The meeting was attended by food secretaries from various states and Union territories, along with officials from the Food Corporation of India.
During the meeting, participants reviewed factors affecting the procurement, distribution, and storage of foodgrains. Following discussions, the wheat procurement estimate for the upcoming Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2026–27 was set at 303 lakh metric tons (LMT).
Similarly, the procurement estimate for paddy during the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025–26 (rabi crop) was fixed at 76 LMT in rice terms. In addition, states are expected to procure around 7.79 LMT of coarse grains, including millets (Shri Anna), during the KMS 2025–26 (rabi crop). To support the projected procurement, the government has allocated adequate packaging material, including 7.83 lakh jute bales and 9.22 lakh HDPE bag bales.
The government has also launched a pilot project in five states to supply improved rice containing up to 10% broken grains. States have been asked to share feedback on its implementation.
A pilot project for QR code tagging on foodgrain packaging has been successfully completed in Andhra Pradesh, with additional pilots planned in other states. The meeting also reviewed progress on the Anna Chakra PDS supply chain optimization tool, implementation of vehicle location tracking systems (VLTS) in states, integration of VLTS with the Anna Chakra platform, onboarding of state food and civil supplies godowns on the Depot Darpan portal, and broader efforts to improve supply chain efficiency in state PDS systems.
Participants also discussed several other initiatives, including proposed reforms to the subsidy claim application under the National Food Security Act (SCAN), the use of central bank digital currency (CBDC), Smart PDS and Sarthak PDS initiatives, the AI-based ASHA platform, and infrastructure improvements at procurement centers.
State governments also shared best practices in foodgrain management. Andhra Pradesh highlighted its use of QR code tagging on jute bags and the auto-generation of subsidy bills, Chhattisgarh discussed the use of AgriStack for procurement, and Gujarat shared its experience with doorstep delivery at fair price shops after verification by vigilance committee members.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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