WEEKS BEFORE the crucial Assembly elections in five states, the Centre on Wednesday announced hikes in the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat and five other rabi crops for the 2024-25 marketing season. The hike in wheat MSP — by Rs 150 per quintal or 7 per cent — is significant as it is the second largest crop after paddy in terms of area coverage. In the crop year 2022-23, the area under wheat in the country stood at 318.25 lakh hectare, while production is estimated to be 110 million tonnes. Two of the five poll-bound states – Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan – are among the top five wheat producing states in the country. The other three are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. The absolute hike of Rs 150 in the wheat MSP, which makes it Rs 2,275 per quintal, is the highest after 2007-08 when an equal hike was announced. In terms of percentage points, the latest hike is the highest since 2011-12, when an increase of 9.83 per cent was announced. The MSP for five other rabi crops - barley, gram, lentil (masur), rapeseed & mustard and safflower - have been increased in the range of 2.65 per cent to 7.08 per cent. The MSP hike was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Briefing reporters on the CCEA decisions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said the MSP has been approved as per the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices. The Modi government is committed to ensure 1.5 times return to farmers, he said. In absolute terms, the highest MSP increase as compared to the current year has been approved for lentil (masur) – at Rs 425 per quintal. It is followed by rapeseed and mustard (Rs 200 per quintal), safflower (Rs 150 per quintal), wheat (Rs 150 per quintal), barley (Rs 115 per quintal) and gram (Rs 105 per quintal). The MSP for barley has been fixed at Rs 1,850 per quintal, which is Rs 115 or 6.63 per cent higher than the current MSP of Rs 1,735. In barley production, poll-bound Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh figure among the top five states. The other three states in the top five are Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The gram MSP has been fixed at Rs 5,440 per quintal, which is Rs 105 (or 1.97 per cent) higher as compared to the current year’s Rs 5,335. Madhya Pradesh is the biggest producer of gram, followed by Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka. The MSP of rapeseed & mustard is fixed at Rs 5,650 per quintal, which is Rs 200 (or 3.67 per cent) higher than the current MSP of Rs 5,450. In absolute and percentage points terms, the hike is lower than last year when the MSP was hiked by Rs 400 per quintal (7.9 per cent). Rajasthan is the top producer of rapeseed & mustard followed by Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The MSP for lentil (masur) has been fixed at Rs 6,425 per quintal, which is Rs 425 (or 7.08 per cent) higher than the current rate. The hike is lower as compared to the last year when it was increased by Rs 500 per quintal (or 9.09 per cent). Madhya Pradesh is the top lentil producer, followed by Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Rajasthan. The MSP for safflower is fixed at Rs 5,800 per quintal, which is Rs 150 (2.65 per cent) higher than the current year’s rate. The increase is lower than the last year, when it was raised by Rs 209 per quintal (or 3.8 per cent) over the previous year’s rate. As far as safflower is concerned, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are the top producing states.
