The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the increase in Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 14 major Kharif crops for the 2025-26 marketing season. The decision aims to ensure remunerative returns to farmers and is aligned with the government’s long-term strategy to boost agricultural income and promote crop diversification.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the MSP hike is most substantial for nigerseed, with an increase of ₹820 per quintal over last year, followed by ragi (₹596 per quintal), cotton (₹589), and sesamum (₹579).
Key Highlights of MSPs for 2025-26:
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Paddy (Common): ₹2,369/quintal (up ₹69 from 2024-25)
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Jowar (Hybrid): ₹3,699/quintal (up ₹328)
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Maize: ₹2,400/quintal (up ₹175)
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Tur (Arhar): ₹8,000/quintal (up ₹450)
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Moong: ₹8,768/quintal (up ₹86)
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Urad: ₹7,800/quintal (up ₹400)
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Groundnut: ₹7,263/quintal (up ₹480)
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Sunflower Seed: ₹7,721/quintal (up ₹441)
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Soybean (Yellow): ₹5,328/quintal (up ₹436)
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Sesamum: ₹9,846/quintal (up ₹579)
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Nigerseed: ₹9,537/quintal (up ₹820)
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Cotton (Medium Staple): ₹7,710/quintal (up ₹589)
Enhanced Support for Farmers
The increase follows the government’s 2018-19 commitment to set MSPs at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. For the 2025-26 season, the expected margins over cost of production are:
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63% for bajra
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59% for maize and tur
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53% for urad
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50% for other crops
Long-Term Trend
Between 2014-15 and 2024-25:
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Procurement of paddy grew to 7,608 LMT from 4,590 LMT (2004-05 to 2013-14)
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MSP amount paid to paddy farmers rose to ₹14.16 lakh crore from ₹4.44 lakh crore
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MSP payout to all 14 Kharif crops increased to ₹16.35 lakh crore from ₹4.75 lakh crore in the earlier decade
The government has been actively promoting the cultivation of pulses, oilseeds, and nutri-cereals (Shree Anna) by offering higher MSPs, aiming to ensure nutritional security and reduce dependency on imports.
The revised MSPs are expected to benefit millions of farmers and are part of a broader strategy to support India’s agricultural resilience and food security.