By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JUNE 07, 2023: THE Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24. 

Government has increased the MSP of Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24, to ensure remunerative prices to the growers for their produce and to encourage crop diversification, as provided in the table below:

Minimum Support Prices for Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2023-24

(Rs. per quintal)

*Refers to cost which includes all paid out costs such as those incurred on account of hired human labour, bullock labour/machine labour, rent paid for leased in land, expenses incurred on use of material inputs like seeds, fertilizers, manures, irrigation charges, depreciation on implements and farm buildings, interest on working capital, diesel/electricity for operation of pump sets etc., miscellaneous expenses and imputed value of family labour.

^ Cost data are not separately compiled for Paddy (Grade A), Jowar (Maldandi) and Cotton (Long staple)

The increase in MSP for Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24 is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times of the All-India weighted average Cost of Production, aiming at reasonably fair remuneration for the farmers. The expected margin to farmers over their cost of production are estimated to be highest in case of bajra (82%) followed by tur (58%), soybean (52%) and urad (51%). For rest of the crops, margin to farmers over their cost of production is estimated to be at least 50%.

In the recent years, Government has been promoting the cultivation of crops, other than cereals such as pulses, oilseeds, and Nutri-cereals/ Shree Anna, by offering a higher MSP for these crops.  Additionally, government has also launched various schemes and initiatives, such as the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), to encourage farmers to diversify their crops.

As per Third Advance Estimates for 2022-23, total Foodgrain production in the country is estimated at record 330.5 million tonnes which is higher by14.9 million tonnes as compared to the previous year 2021-22. This is the highest increase in the last 5 year.