Centre hikes MSP for 14 Kharif crops; nigerseed sees highest increase
PTC Web Desk: The Union Cabinet has approved a hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 14 major Kharif crops for the 2025-26 marketing season, a move aimed at ensuring fair remuneration for farmers ahead of the sowing period. Among the crops, nigerseed saw the highest absolute increase in MSP at Rs 820 per quintal, followed by ragi with Rs 596, cotton with Rs 589, and sesamum at Rs 579 per quintal. The MSP for paddy, India’s most widely grown Kharif crop, has been increased by Rs 69 per quintal.
Pulses also received a notable revision with tur (arhar) MSP rising by Rs 450, urad by Rs 400, and moong by Rs 86 per quintal. In the oilseeds category, groundnut MSP was hiked by Rs 480, sunflower seed by Rs 441, and soybean by Rs 436. Cotton, another major cash crop, received a Rs 589 per quintal boost.
This MSP revision aligns with the government’s 2018-19 budget policy of fixing MSPs at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. This ensures an estimated margin of 63% in the case of bajra, 59% for maize and tur, and 53% for urad, with other crops expected to yield at least a 50% profit over production costs.
The government has emphasised its ongoing push to promote the cultivation of crops beyond cereals, particularly pulses, oilseeds, and nutritious grains like millets (referred to as Shree Anna). This is reflected in the MSP strategy which offers comparatively higher price support for these categories.
The procurement and MSP payouts over the past decade have significantly risen. Between 2014-15 and 2024-25, the procurement of paddy stood at 7,608 lakh metric tonne (LMT), compared to 4,590 LMT between 2004-05 and 2013-14. For all 14 Kharif crops, the procurement reached 7,871 LMT in the last decade, up from 4,679 LMT in the preceding one. The MSP payments also saw a massive rise, with Rs 14.16 lakh crore paid to paddy farmers and Rs 16.35 lakh crore for all Kharif crops during 2014-25, compared to Rs 4.44 lakh crore and Rs 4.75 lakh crore, respectively, in 2004-14.
India observes three cropping seasons—Kharif, Rabi, and Summer. Kharif crops are sown during June-July with the onset of monsoon and harvested in October-November. Rabi crops are sown in October-November and harvested in spring, while summer crops grow between the two main seasons. The timely revision of MSP remains critical for supporting farmers' incomes and promoting crop diversification in India.
- ANI
