The Narendra Modi government-led Cabinet has raised the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat by Rs 150, bringing it to Rs 2,425 per quintal for the 2025-26 rabi marketing season, marking a 6.59% increase. This decision comes as elections approach in states such as Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi, with the rabi marketing season set to begin in April 2025.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved this hike along with increases for five other mandated rabi crops — barley, gram, lentil (masur), rapeseed/mustard and safflower — ranging from Rs 130 to Rs 300 per quintal.
Announcing the decision, I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the government is committed to farmer welfare, noting that the substantial rise in MSP for rabi crops mirrors similar increases in the Kharif season.
In addition to wheat, the Cabinet raised the MSP for rapeseed/mustard seed by Rs 300 to Rs 5,950 per quintal. The safflower support price was adjusted upward by Rs 140 to Rs 5,940 per quintal. For pulses, the MSP for lentil (masur) increased by Rs 275 to Rs 6,700 per quintal, while the MSP for gram rose by Rs 210 to Rs 5,650 per quintal.
Barley’s support price saw an increase of Rs 130, reaching Rs 1,980 per quintal. This adjustment aligns with the Union Budget 2018-19 commitment to set the MSP at a minimum of 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production.
The anticipated margins over the all-India average cost of production are projected to be 105% for wheat, 98% for rapeseed and mustard, 89% for lentil, 60% for gram and barley, and 50% for safflower.
This increased MSP aims to provide farmers with more profitable pricing and encourage crop diversification, Vaishnaw added.
