New Delhi, May 28 (HS): The central government has approved an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for 14 major Kharif crops for the next marketing season. This decision has been taken by the government with the aim of ensuring a profitable price for farmers for their produce. Compared to last year, the MSP for paddy has been increased by ₹69, for ragi by ₹596, and for jowar by ₹328. Similarly, the MSP for tur (arhar) has been raised by ₹450, and by ₹400 for urad.

On Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the increase in MSP for the 2025-26 marketing season. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw provided information about the Cabinet's decisions at the National Media Centre today.

Vaishnaw stated that the MSP for Kharif crops has been increased to at least 1.5 times the average production cost. The highest increases were for niger seed (ramtil), ragi, cotton, and sesame, which have increased by ₹820, ₹596, ₹589, and ₹579, respectively.

Increase in Grains:

The MSP for paddy has been raised from ₹2300 to ₹2369 per quintal, reflecting an increase of ₹69. Additionally, the MSP for high-quality paddy has also increased by ₹69 and will now be ₹2389 per quintal.

The MSP for the hybrid variety of jowar has been increased from ₹3371 to ₹3699, marking an increase of ₹328. The new MSP for the Maldandi variety has been set at ₹3749 per quintal. The MSP for millet has been raised from ₹2625 to ₹2775, indicating an increase of ₹150. The highest increase of ₹596 has been made for ragi, with its new MSP now at ₹4886 per quintal. The MSP for maize has increased by ₹175, and it will now be available at ₹2400 per quintal.

Increase in Pulses:

The MSP for Arhar (Tur) has been increased from ₹7550 to ₹8000, which is an increase of ₹450. The MSP for Urad has been raised from ₹7400 to ₹7800, indicating a rise of ₹400. The price of Moong has increased by ₹86, and its new MSP will now be ₹8768 per quintal.

Increase in Oilseed Crops:

The MSP for groundnut has increased by ₹480, and it will now be ₹7263 per quintal. With an increase of ₹441, the new MSP for sunflower seeds has been set at ₹7721. The MSP for soybean (yellow variety) has been raised from ₹4892 to ₹5328, which is an increase of ₹436. The MSP for sesame (Til) has been increased by ₹579, making its new price ₹9846 per quintal. Nigerseed, also known as Ramtil, has seen the highest increase of ₹820 in its MSP, resulting in a new MSP of ₹9537 per quintal.

According to the government, the procurement of paddy between 2014-15 and 2024-25 was 7608 LMT, which is approximately 66 percent higher compared to the period of 2004-05 to 2013-14. During the same period, the procurement of all 14 Kharif crops was 7871 LMT, while it was only 4679 LMT in the previous period. Between 2014-25, farmers received payments totaling ₹16.35 lakh crore under the MSP scheme, whereas in the period from 2004-14, this amount was only ₹4.75 lakh crore.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar