In a major relief for farmers ahead of Diwali, the central government has approved a hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for key rabi crops. The announcement was made by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved an increase in MSP for six rabi crops for the 2025-26 marketing season, with hikes ranging from ₹130 to ₹300 per quintal.
"This cabinet decision focuses on the welfare of farmers. Like the significant MSP increase for kharif crops, there is now a considerable rise in MSP for rabi crops," said I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The MSP for wheat has been raised to ₹2,425 per quintal for 2025-26, up from ₹2,275 per quintal the previous year. To boost domestic oilseed production, the MSP for rapeseed/mustard has been increased by ₹300 to ₹5,950 per quintal. Similarly, the MSP for safflower has been hiked by ₹140 to ₹5,940 per quintal.
In the case of pulses, the MSP for lentils (masur) has risen by ₹275 to ₹6,700 per quintal, while the MSP for gram has been increased by ₹210 to ₹5,650 per quintal.
This hike is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19's commitment to set MSP at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. The new MSP ensures a margin of 105% for wheat, 98% for rapeseed and mustard, 89% for lentils, 60% for gram and barley, and 50% for safflower over the cost of production.
The government expects the increase in MSP to ensure fair prices for farmers and encourage crop diversification. The rabi marketing season for 2025-26 will begin in April 2025.