Chandigarh, September 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Tuesday directed District Food Supply Controllers (DFSCs) to ensure that no paddy from outside the state enters Punjab’s mandis during the upcoming 2026-27 procurement season.
Addressing DFSCs, Kataruchak said officials, particularly those posted in border districts, must remain extra vigilant to prevent bogus entries and the arrival of paddy from neighbouring states.
The minister also directed DFSCs to coordinate closely with officials of the Mandi Board to ensure smooth procurement and safeguard the interests of all stakeholders, particularly farmers.
Kataruchak commended the DFSCs for their role in ensuring the success of the previous nine procurement seasons and urged them to maintain the same level of preparedness for the forthcoming paddy season.
On the issue of storage capacity, the minister said Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was regularly taking up the matter with the Union Government.
He said the movement of foodgrains out of Punjab would also have to be accelerated to create adequate storage space ahead of the paddy procurement season. Officials informed the minister that the General Manager of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) would be approached on priority to expedite the movement of foodgrains from the state.
The procurement target for paddy for the 2026-27 season has been fixed at 180 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), while the area under paddy cultivation stands at 26.22 lakh hectares. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy has been fixed at ₹2,441 per quintal.
The minister was also informed that 4.20 lakh bales were currently available against the requirement of 5.09 lakh bales, representing 82 per cent availability. Besides, 3,600 rice mills were ready for allotment of paddy.
Principal Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Rahul Tiwari, Additional Secretary Kamal Kumar Garg, Additional Directors Dr Anjuman Bhaskar and Ajayveer Singh Sarao were among those present at the meeting.
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