Foodgrain stocks top 100 million tonnes, triggering calls for liquidation

India’s foodgrains stocks topped 100 million tonnes for first time on June 1 and were estimated at 104.16 million tonnes. The record high inventories triggered calls for quick liquidation of the grains by distributing them among the needy and vulnerable sections of society. 

The massive build-up could also pose a grave storage challenge as the monsoon keeps advancing.

Civil society activists have demanded that the Centre should at least extend the free-grain scheme under Garib Kalyan Package for the next three months to liquidate a part of the inventory. Ten states have also demanded the same.

The chart shows the stock build-up on June 1 each year in the last 10 years.