MSP FOR RABI CROPS : ECONOMY

NEWS :  Centre Announces MSP Hike for Rabi Crops: Wheat Price Increased by 6.59% for 2025-26 Season

 

WHAT’S IN THE NEWS ?

The Indian government has raised the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for six Rabi crops, including a 6.59% hike for wheat, ahead of the 2025-26 marketing season.

MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE :

·         MSP Introduction: The Minimum Support Price (MSP) system was set up in 1965 to ensure national food security and protect farmers from drastic price drops.

·         MSP Calculation:

·         A2: Includes paid-out costs on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, hired labour, leased land, fuel, etc.

·         A2+FL: Adds unpaid family labour to A2.

·         C2: Comprehensive cost (A2+FL) + rental value of owned land and interest on capital.

·         The government sets MSP as 1.5 times the A2+FL cost.

·         MSP for Rabi Crops 2025-26: New MSPs for six Rabi crops announced, including:

·         Wheat: ₹150/quintal increase to ₹2,425/quintal.

·         Other crops (barley, gram, lentil, rapeseed, mustard, safflower) saw 2.41% to 7.03% hikes.

·         Highest increase for rapeseed and mustard at ₹300/quintal.

·         Wheat's Significance:

·         Second-largest crop with 318.33 lakh hectares sown in 2023-24, yielding 113.92 million tonnes.

·         Major producers: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana.

·         Wheat procurement decreased from 43.34 million tonnes in 2021-22 to 26.6 million tonnes in 2024-25, benefiting 22 lakh farmers.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/business/agri-business/union-cabinet-approves-hike-in-msp-for-rabi-crops/article68760313.ece