India maintains sufficient wheat and rice reserves to meet domestic demand and support exports, despite climate pressures and global trade disruptions, as the government amplifies its focus on self-reliance and contingency planning.
India has enough wheat and rice in reserve to cover domestic demand and still leave room for exports, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday, arguing that climate pressure and supply shocks have not undermined the country’s food security.
Chouhan said government warehouses held more than 92 million tonnes of foodgrain on July 1, a level that exceeds buffer and strategic reserve requirements, according to Business Standard. His remarks come as the south-west monsoon has improved, cutting the seasonal rainfall deficit from more than 37% at the end of June to about 11% by August 9.
The minister linked the stock position to a wider case for self-reliance, saying India should not depend on overseas suppliers for essential needs because global politics can disrupt trade without warning. Speaking at a programme to release ICAR scholarships through direct benefit transfer, he said the country’s grain reserves reflect the work of scientists, farmers and government policy.
The comments follow a series of government steps to prepare agriculture for weather and supply risks. Livemint reported earlier this year that India’s foodgrain reserves had reached a five-year high, with wheat and rice holdings well above the combined buffer norm. Separately, Chouhan has chaired reviews on El Nino contingency planning, fertiliser stocks and seed availability, while the agriculture ministry has set up monitoring measures to track key inputs during the West Asia crisis.
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