The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved an increase in minimum support prices (MSPs) for all mandated rabi crops for the 2027-28 marketing season.
Safflower has received the highest absolute increase of ₹675 per quintal, followed by rapeseed and mustard at ₹413 per quintal. The MSP for lentil (masur) has been increased by ₹390 per quintal, barley by ₹136, gram by ₹83 and wheat by ₹25 per quintal.
The MSP for wheat has been fixed at ₹2,610 per quintal for the 2027-28 marketing season, compared with ₹2,585 per quintal in 2026-27.
The MSP for barley has been raised to ₹2,286 per quintal from ₹2,150, while gram will fetch ₹5,958 per quintal, up from ₹5,875.
Lentil MSP has been increased to ₹7,390 per quintal from ₹7,000, while rapeseed and mustard MSP has been raised to ₹6,613 per quintal from ₹6,200. Safflower MSP has been fixed at ₹7,215 per quintal, against ₹6,540 in the previous marketing season.
The government said the increase was in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production.
The expected margin over the all-India weighted average cost of production is 106 per cent for wheat, 96 per cent for rapeseed and mustard, 92 per cent for lentil, 59 per cent for gram, 58 per cent for barley and 50 per cent for safflower.
The government said it has in recent years promoted cultivation of crops other than cereals, including pulses and oilseeds, by offering higher MSPs.
Wheat procurement during 2014-15 to 2025-26 stood at 371.5 million tonnes, compared with 225.4 million tonnes during 2004-05 to 2013-14. Procurement of the six rabi crops stood at 392.1 million tonnes during 2014-15 to 2025-26, compared with 230.2 million tonnes during 2004-05 to 2013-14.
The MSP amount paid to wheat growers during 2014-15 to 2025-26 stood at ₹7.31 trillion, compared with ₹2.56 trillion during 2004-05 to 2013-14. MSP payments to growers of the six rabi crops stood at ₹8.36 trillion, compared with ₹2.65 trillion over the same periods.
