New Delhi: To control the rise in rice prices in the country, ensure adequate domestic supply, prevent hoarding and black-market sales, and protect consumer interests, the Central Government has announced various stringent measures. Disclosure of stock has been made mandatory for all rice and paddy stockholding entities across the country.
Rice and paddy stock details made mandatory
Traders across the country who hold stocks of rice and paddy, wholesale and retail traders, large business firms, and rice mill owners must register their stock details every Friday on the Central Government’s https://foodstock.dfpd.gov.in website.
Details must be reported in six categories: basmati rice, non-basmati rice, ordinary rice, parboiled rice, broken rice, and paddy. Action will be taken against those who violate the rules under the Essential Commodities Act.
Permission for stock ceiling
The southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana have been permitted to impose stock limits on rice and paddy as needed. This order will remain in effect until January 31, 2027.
To increase the availability of rice in the southern states, additional Bharat Rice has been allocated to the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation. Through this, rice is expected to be available at affordable prices, and retail prices will also come under control.
Intensive monitoring by the central and state governments
The central and state governments will closely monitor how these measures are implemented to ensure that rice is readily available in the market and to prevent hoarding and black-market activities.
Increase in rice sales target
To streamline domestic supply, under the open market sale scheme for 2026-27, the target for rice sold through electronic auction has been raised from 25 lakh tonnes to 50 lakh tonnes. As of October 31, 2026, 25 lakh tonnes of rice had been sold. It is noteworthy that 11 lakh tonnes of rice were sold during the same period last year. Through this measure, the availability of goods in the market has increased significantly.
In August, retail price inflation for rice stood at 5.89 percent. This increased to 8.25 percent in September.
These measures reaffirm the government’s commitment to ensuring the adequate availability of essential food items, controlling price increases, and protecting the interests of consumers across the country.