Kharif crops are harvested in the monsoon or autumn.
The Indian government has announced a hike in the minimum prices for various crops grown in summer, aiming to boost farmers' income and crop diversity.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the increase in the minimum support prices (MSP) for all mandated kharif crops for the marketing season 2023-24 on Wednesday.
The MSP is the rate at which the government buys crops from farmers, regardless of market prices. It acts as a guarantee for farmers and an incentive for them to grow more food.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the MSP for paddy, the most widely grown crop in India, has been raised by Rs. 143 per quintal (100 kg) to Rs. 2,183 for common variety and Rs. 2,203 for grade A variety.
The MSP for other crops such as pulses, oilseeds, cotton and millets has also been increased by varying amounts, ranging from 4% to 12%. The statement said that the MSP hike is in line with the government's policy of ensuring at least a 50 per cent profit margin for farmers over their cost of production.
The government said that the MSP increase will encourage farmers to diversify their cropping patterns and adopt high-yielding technologies.
The decision to increase the MSP is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times the All-India weighted average Cost of Production, aiming at providing a reasonably fair remuneration for farmers. This is expected to offer farmers the highest margin over their cost of production in the case of bajra (82%), followed by tur (58%), soybean (52%) and urad (51%). For other crops, the margin is estimated to be at least 50%.
The Indian government has been promoting the cultivation of non-cereal crops such as pulses, oilseeds, and Nutri-cereals/Shree Anna by offering a higher MSP for these crops. This initiative is further supported by various schemes like the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) to encourage farmers to diversify their crops.
