New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday announced higher minimum support price (MSP) for rabi crops, or winter crops, for the marketing season 2020-21. The crops will be marketed from next April.
The Union Cabinet cleared the MSP hike for wheat by Rs 85 to Rs 1,925 a quintal and for pulses by up to Rs 325 per quintal. While the MSP of barley has been raised from Rs 1,440 to Rs 1,525, support prices for rapeseed and mustard oil, gram, safflower and lentils have also been increased.
The pro-farmer’s decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “In a move to increase farmers’ income, the Cabinet has increased the MSP of rabi or winter-sown crops for the current year,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters.
The MSP announced for this year is in line with the recommendation of the government’s farm price advisory body, the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP).
Wheat has been taken as a top priority, as this rabi crop will be sown next month.
In order to encourage farmers to cultivate more pulses, the government has hiked the support price of masoor by Rs 325 to Rs 4,800 per quintal from Rs 4,475 last year. The MSP for gram has also been increased by Rs 255 to Rs 4,875 per quintal from Rs 4,620.
Among oilseeds, the MSP of rapeseed, or mustard, has been increased by Rs 225 to Rs 4,425 per quintal from Rs 4,200 and that of safflower by Rs 270 to Rs 5,215 per quintal from Rs 4,945.
