SRINAGAR 28 Jul : Foodgrain stocks classified as non-issuable or damaged in Jammu and Kashmir rose to 0.82 metric tonnes (MT) in 2025-26, from 0.09 MT in 2024-25, according to data placed before the Rajya Sabha by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
The Ministry’s year-wise data show that JK recorded 261 MT of damaged foodgrains in 2021-22 and 248 MT in 2022-23, before reporting nil damage in 2023-24. The figure stood at 0.09 MT in 2024-25 and increased to 0.82 MT in 2025-26.
The latest figure for JK, however, remained substantially lower than the quantities reported in several major foodgrain-producing states. In 2025-26, Rajasthan recorded the highest damage at 2,089 MT, followed by Maharashtra at 35 MT, Punjab at 36 MT, Jharkhand at 40 MT, Uttar Pradesh at 21 MT and West Bengal at 9 MT. The data also showed 10.175 MT in Arunachal Pradesh and 2 MT each in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat reported 0.84 MT. Several States, including Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Chhattisgarh, reported no damaged stocks in 2025-26.
The Union Government said foodgrain stocks handled by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) may become non-issuable because of natural calamities, including cyclones, flash floods and rain, as well as transit damage, quality complaints, silo operations and incidents such as fire.
As of July 1, 2026, FCI had 25.96 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of foodgrains stored in silos, 479.43 LMT in covered storage, including owned and hired facilities, and 20.26 LMT in Cover and Plinth (CAP) storage.
The Centre said it had decided to phase out CAP storage in Punjab and Haryana as part of efforts to expand scientific storage infrastructure. It is also implementing the Smart Warehouse Project, under which traditional depots are being converted into facilities equipped with sensors, including smoke, fire and gate-opening sensors.
The Department of Food and Public Distribution has also launched the Depot Darpan Portal to improve monitoring, transparency and efficiency at foodgrain storage depots and warehouses. The portal allows managers to upload geo-tagged information on infrastructure and operations, grades depots using infrastructure and operational parameters, and requires 100 per cent verification by supervisory officers. All FCI-owned and hired warehouses are covered under the system.
The government is additionally promoting silo construction under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. It said silos provide mechanised bulk storage, improve preservation and shelf life, require less land than conventional facilities and can reduce transit, overhead and manpower costs.
The Central Warehousing Corporation created an additional 71.02 lakh square feet of storage capacity during the five financial years from 2021-22 to 2025-26, the Ministry said in its Rajya Sabha reply to Unstarred Question No. 1005, answered on July 28.
On procurement, the Centre said wheat procurement increased nationally from 266.05 LMT in RMS 2024-25 to 300.35 LMT in RMS 2025-26 and 357.57 LMT in RMS 2026-27. Paddy procurement rose from 808.45 LMT in KMS 2022-23 to 782.25 LMT in 2023-24, 822.80 LMT in 2024-25 and 836.36 LMT in KMS 2025-26 up to July 22, 2026.
The Ministry said States can procure coarse grains such as jowar, bajra, maize and ragi, along with six minor millets, under the decentralised procurement system at Minimum Support Price for distribution through the Targeted Public Distribution System and other welfare schemes.
The Union Government said there was no proposal at present to distribute surplus foodgrains free of cost or at subsidised rates specifically to prevent stocks from deteriorating. It said FCI stores and handles large quantities of foodgrains for welfare schemes and to maintain buffer and strategic reserves to ensure national food security.
