The increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 14 kharif crops for Marketing Season 2026-27 to guarantee farmers lucrative prices was approved on Wednesday by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to an official release made on Wednesday, the largest absolute increase in MSP over the previous year has been suggested for sunflower seed at Rs 622 per quintal, followed by cotton (Rs 557 per quintal), nigerseed (Rs 515 per quintal), and sesamum (Rs 500 per quintal).
The Union Budget 2018–19 declaration that the MSP will be set at a level of at least 1. 5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production is consistent with the increase in MSP for kharif crops for Marketing Season 2026–27.
The predicted margin for farmers over their cost of production is thought to be greatest for moong (61 percent), followed by bajra (56 percent), maize (56 percent), and tur/arhar (54 percent). The statement said that, for the remaining crops, farmers are thought to have a 50% profit margin over their cost of production.
By providing a higher MSP for these crops, the government has been encouraging the production of non-cereal crops like pulses, oilseeds, and nutri-cereals/’Shree Anna’ in recent years.
The total amount of MSP paid to paddy-growing farmers was Rs 16. 08 lakh crore between the years 2014–15 and 2025–26, but between the years 2004–05 and 2013–14, the amount paid to farmers was Rs 4. 44 lakh crore.
The MSP amount paid to farmers for 14 kharif crops-growing during the years 2014–15 to 2025–26 was Rs 18. 99 lakh crore, while the MSP amount paid to farmers during the years 2004–05 to 2013–14 was Rs 4. 75 lakh crore.
The amount of paddy purchased was 4590 LMT between 2004–2005 and 2013–2014, but it was 8418 lakh metric tons (LMT) between 2014–15 and 2025–26.
The statement went on to say that 8,746 LMT of 14 kharif crops were purchased between 2014–15 and 2025–26, compared to 4,679 LMT between 2004–05 and 2013–14.