Tamil Nadu government imposes stock limits on paddy, rice and pulses; excess stock must be cleared by November 16

Paddy crop in a field in Salem, Tamil Nadu. Under the new regulation, wholesalers were allowed to hold a maximum stock of 2,000 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy rice, while the limit for retailers was set at eight metric tonnes for each retail outlet. | Photo credit: Laskhmi Narayanan E

In rare orders, the Tamil Nadu government on Friday imposed stock limits on paddy rice, paddy rice, tur dal and pulses held by wholesalers, retailers, rice millers, importers and processors, ordering those with stocks in excess of the prescribed quantities to comply by November 16.

The orders will be in force across the state and have come into force with immediate effect. The government is taking this measure to prevent hoarding of essential commodities due to fears of inflation and high food prices.

The restrictions, imposed through the Tamil Nadu Paddy/Rice (Stock Limit) Control Order, 2026, issued by the Department of Cooperation, Food and Consumer Protection, will remain in force till January 31, 2027. Similarly, the Tamil Nadu Tur and Urad Pulses (Storage Control) Order, 2026 has imposed stock limits for a period of three months.

For fair distribution

A government order issued by Additional Chief Secretary P. Amudha under Section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 said the measure was necessary to maintain the stock of paddy and rice, ensure their equitable distribution and ensure their availability at fair prices.

Under the new regulation, wholesalers were allowed to hold a maximum stock of 2,000 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy rice, while the limit for retailers was set at eight metric tonnes for each retail outlet.

Retail stores of large chains will also be subject to a limit of 8 MT per establishment, with their total allowable stock limited to 8 MT multiplied by the total number of establishments operated by the chain.

Rice mills will not be allowed to hold stocks in excess of their monthly production capacity.

Meanwhile, importers cannot keep imported stocks for more than 45 days from the date of customs clearance. For processors, the allowable stock was set at 60% of their monthly installed capacity multiplied by the number of months remaining until January 2027.

The order requires the concerned legal entities to report their stock positions on the Ministry of Consumer Affairs portal (fcainfoweb.nic.in/psp). Those with stocks above the prescribed limits have until November 16 to bring them down to permitted levels.

The government has also stipulated that stock positions must be regularly reported and updated on the portal.

According to the pulses order, the wholesaler can store only 200 MT for each variety of pulses and the retailer 5 MT. For large retail chains, the limit is 5 MT per retail outlet and 200 MT per warehouse for each of the pulses.

The importer cannot hold stock for more than 45 days from the date of clearance and the miller can hold production for the last three months or 25% of the annual installed capacity, whichever is greater. It supersedes the relevant provisions of the Central Government Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions Regulations under the Certain Foods Regulations 2016 in respect of new state-specific stock restrictions.

Published – 14 Nov 2026 0:02 IST