# Centre to move 18 lakh tonnes of old grain from Punjab mandis 2026-08-09T23:43:43+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the central government has agreed to move 18 lakh metric tonnes of old grain stock from Punjab's mandis by September 20. This will free up storage space ahead of the state's expected bumper paddy harvest. Mann said this after meeting Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi in Delhi on Saturday. Mann also requested the immediate removal of 27 lakh tonnes of wheat lying at rice mills and mandi yards to other states under central welfare schemes. He stressed that clearing this wheat is essential for storage during the coming Kharif Marketing Season 2026-27. Punjab is expected to procure about 180 lakh tonnes of paddy this year. The state has already delivered 86 lakh tonnes of rice to the central pool despite space constraints at the Food Corporation of India. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: Bhagwant Mann, Food Corporation of India, grain procurement, paddy harvest, Pralhad Joshi, Punjab Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/centre-to-move-18-lakh-tonnes-of-old-grain-from-punjab-mandis/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/centre-to-move-18-lakh-tonnes-of-old-grain-from-punjab-mandis/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.