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Department of Food and Public Distribution... | UPSC Current Affairs

Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India calls meeting with Food Secretaries of States/UTs

Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India calls meeting with Food Secretaries of States/UTs
The press note outlines the government's ambitious Kharif 2025-26 procurement targets for paddy (463.5 LMT) and millets (19.19 LMT) along with several digital and policy initiatives aimed at strengthening the PDS and food security. These details provide rich material for both factual MCQs and analytical Mains answers on procurement, nutrition, and e‑governance.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India calls meeting with Food Secretaries of States/UTs Procurement of foodgrains in Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025-26 (Kharif Crops) for central pool main agenda The Department Food and Public Distribution, Government of India called a meeting with Food Secretaries of States/UTs and Food Corporation of India (FCI) here today which was chaired by Shri Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, DFPD, GoI to discuss the arrangements for procurement of Crops in ensuing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025-26. During the meeting, the estimates for paddy procurement (Kharif Crop) have been fixed at 463.50 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT), in terms of rice and estimates of procurement for coarse grains /millets (Shree Anna) have been fixed at 19.19 LMT during ensuing KMS 2025-26. States/UTs were advised to focus on procurement of millets for diversification of crops and enhanced nutrition in dietary patterns. In the meeting, several ongoing initiatives of the Department which inter-alia included web-based processing of requests for milling period, mobile app based Joint Physical Verification of Paddy, Smart PDS, Anna Mitra, implementation of Cash Credit Limit for Purchase of Jute Bags, Depot Darpan, infrastructure improvement in Procurement Centers, SCAN Portal for processing of Food Subsidy bills, Storage Policy etc were also discussed. During the meeting, details regarding rice milling transformation scheme were shared wherein custom milling of rice with only 10% broken is to be undertaken. The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary/Secretary (Food) of States/UTs, CMD, FCI as well as officers from FCI. **** AD/NS (Release ID: 2162849) Visitor Counter : 2
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Key Insight

Govt sets record Kharif procurement targets and launches digital PDS reforms for food security

Key Facts

  1. The DFPD, GoI, chaired by Secretary Sanjeev Chopra, met Food Secretaries of States/UTs in 2026 to plan Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025-26 procurement.
  2. Paddy procurement target for KMS 2025-26 is fixed at 463.50 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT).
  3. Millet (Shree Anna) procurement target for KMS 2025-26 is fixed at 19.19 LMT, emphasizing crop diversification and nutrition.
  4. Key digital initiatives discussed: Smart PDS, Anna Mitra, Depot Darpan, SCAN Portal, web‑based milling period requests, mobile‑app Joint Physical Verification.
  5. Rice milling transformation scheme aims for custom milling with only 10% broken rice to improve quality and value addition.
  6. Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state food departments were directed to implement cash‑credit limits for jute‑bag purchases and upgrade procurement centre infrastructure.

Background

Procurement of Kharif crops forms the backbone of India's Public Distribution System (PDS), ensuring food security and price stability. The 2025-26 targets reflect a shift towards millets for nutritional security and the integration of e‑governance tools to enhance transparency, efficiency, and farmer remuneration.

UPSC Syllabus

  • GS3 — Farm subsidies, MSP, PDS, food security and technology missions
  • GS2 — Government policies and interventions for development
  • GS3 — Major crops, cropping patterns, irrigation and agricultural produce
  • GS4 — Work culture, quality of service delivery, utilization of public funds, corruption

Mains Angle

GS2 – Government policies and interventions; GS3 – Agriculture and food security. Candidates can evaluate how procurement targets, millet diversification, and digital reforms together strengthen food security, nutrition, and farmer welfare.

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Full Article

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India calls meeting with Food Secretaries of States/UTs Procurement of foodgrains in Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025-26 (Kharif Crops) for central pool main agenda The Department Food and Public Distribution, Government of India called a meeting with Food Secretaries of States/UTs and Food Corporation of India (FCI) here today which was chaired by Shri Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, DFPD, GoI to discuss the arrangements for procurement of Crops in ensuing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025-26. During the meeting, the estimates for paddy procurement (Kharif Crop) have been fixed at 463.50 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT), in terms of rice and estimates of procurement for coarse grains /millets (Shree Anna) have been fixed at 19.19 LMT during ensuing KMS 2025-26. States/UTs were advised to focus on procurement of millets for diversification of crops and enhanced nutrition in dietary patterns. In the meeting, several ongoing initiatives of the Department which inter-alia included web-based processing of requests for milling period, mobile app based Joint Physical Verification of Paddy, Smart PDS, Anna Mitra, implementation of Cash Credit Limit for Purchase of Jute Bags, Depot Darpan, infrastructure improvement in Procurement Centers, SCAN Portal for processing of Food Subsidy bills, Storage Policy etc were also discussed. During the meeting, details regarding rice milling transformation scheme were shared wherein custom milling of rice with only 10% broken is to be undertaken. The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary/Secretary (Food) of States/UTs, CMD, FCI as well as officers from FCI. **** AD/NS (Release ID: 2162849) Visitor Counter : 2
Read Original

Govt sets record Kharif procurement targets and launches digital PDS reforms for food security

Key Facts

  1. The DFPD, GoI, chaired by Secretary Sanjeev Chopra, met Food Secretaries of States/UTs in 2026 to plan Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025-26 procurement.
  2. Paddy procurement target for KMS 2025-26 is fixed at 463.50 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT).
  3. Millet (Shree Anna) procurement target for KMS 2025-26 is fixed at 19.19 LMT, emphasizing crop diversification and nutrition.
  4. Key digital initiatives discussed: Smart PDS, Anna Mitra, Depot Darpan, SCAN Portal, web‑based milling period requests, mobile‑app Joint Physical Verification.
  5. Rice milling transformation scheme aims for custom milling with only 10% broken rice to improve quality and value addition.
  6. Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state food departments were directed to implement cash‑credit limits for jute‑bag purchases and upgrade procurement centre infrastructure.

Background & Context

Procurement of Kharif crops forms the backbone of India's Public Distribution System (PDS), ensuring food security and price stability. The 2025-26 targets reflect a shift towards millets for nutritional security and the integration of e‑governance tools to enhance transparency, efficiency, and farmer remuneration.

UPSC Syllabus Connections

GS3•Farm subsidies, MSP, PDS, food security and technology missionsGS2•Government policies and interventions for developmentGS3•Major crops, cropping patterns, irrigation and agricultural produceGS4•Work culture, quality of service delivery, utilization of public funds, corruption

Mains Answer Angle

GS2 – Government policies and interventions; GS3 – Agriculture and food security. Candidates can evaluate how procurement targets, millet diversification, and digital reforms together strengthen food security, nutrition, and farmer welfare.

Analysis

Practice Questions

GS2
Easy
Prelims MCQ

Food procurement targets

1 marks
3 keywords
GS3
Medium
Mains Short Answer

Crop diversification and nutrition

5 marks
4 keywords
GS2
Hard
Mains Essay

E‑governance in food security

15 marks
6 keywords
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