The Centre dismissed claims of a surplus in Punjab mandis, stating that wheat arrivals this rabi marketing season are lower than last year. As of May 6, 2026, around 122 lakh metric tonnes of wheat had arrived, compared to 125 LMT in the same period last year. This decrease of nearly 3 LMT indicates that there is no excessive inflow of grain into the mandis.
Officials highlighted that wheat lifting from mandis has been more efficient this year. By May 6, 78.96 LMT had been lifted, surpassing the 75.63 LMT recorded by the same time in 2025. Despite lower arrivals, the faster evacuation shows improved movement of stocks and reduced congestion in the mandis.
To enhance procurement processes, the Centre expanded direct delivery methods this season. In April, 3.5 LMT of wheat was directly moved from mandis, with plans for another 6.6 LMT in May and an estimated 8 LMT in June. Punjab authorities have requested close to 18 LMT of wheat to be evacuated through direct delivery during this rabi marketing season.
Moreover, Punjab received the most railway wheat specials for grain transportation nationwide. Out of 413 wheat specials in April, 234 were allocated to Punjab. In May, 201 out of 354 wheat specials were designated for the state, representing almost 60% of the planned wheat movement in India.
