Centre raises MSP of six rabi crops for 2027-28, safflower sees biggest increase
The Centre has approved higher minimum support prices for wheat, barley, gram, lentil, rapeseed-mustard and safflower for the 2027-28 rabi season, with safflower up Rs 675 a quintal.
The Union government has approved an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of six crops for the 2027-28 rabi season. The government says the aim is to ensure farmers get a good and fair price for their produce. The six crops are wheat, barley, gram, lentil, rapeseed-mustard and safflower.
The biggest increase is in the MSP of safflower, which has gone up by Rs 675 a quintal. Rapeseed and mustard follow, with an increase of Rs 413 a quintal.
The increases for the other crops are Rs 390 a quintal for lentil, Rs 136 a quintal for barley, Rs 83 a quintal for gram and Rs 25 a quintal for wheat.
The government said the increase is in line with the principles set out in the Union Budget for 2018-19. Under these, the aim was to give farmers an MSP of at least 1.5 times the average cost of their crop.
According to the government's estimates, farmers can get returns over cost of production of about 106 per cent on wheat, 96 per cent on rapeseed and mustard, 92 per cent on lentil, 59 per cent on gram, 58 per cent on barley and 50 per cent on safflower.
For the past few years, the government has been encouraging farmers to grow pulses and oilseeds instead of depending only on crops such as wheat and rice. This is why the MSP of these crops is being kept comparatively higher. The government expects this to draw farmers towards other crops.
According to government figures, it procured about 3,715 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat between 2014-15 and 2025-26. In the 10 years from 2004-05 to 2013-14, government procurement of wheat was about 2,254 LMT. Procurement has thus risen considerably compared with earlier years.
Taking wheat together with the other major rabi crops, procurement of the six crops was about 2,302 LMT between 2004-05 and 2013-14. It rose to about 3,921 LMT between 2014-15 and 2025-26.
Farmers of the six major rabi crops were paid a total of about Rs 2.65 lakh crore under MSP between 2004-05 and 2013-14. Between 2014-15 and 2025-26, this rose to Rs 8.36 lakh crore.
Overall, the government says the increase in MSP will help farmers get a good price for their crops and encourage the cultivation of pulses and oilseeds.
