Centre hikes paddy MSP by Rs 100 per quintal for 2022-23 crop year

The support price of 'A' grade variety of paddy has been hiked to Rs 2,060 per quintal from Rs 1,960

To encourage farmers to bring more area under the crop and its diversification, the Government on Wednesday announced a minimum support price (MSP) for 14 Kharif crops including paddy, jower, ragi and pulses for the 2022-23 crop year.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi took this decision to ensure remunerative prices to the growers for their produce and to encourage crop diversification, an official statement said.

Briefing media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that announcing the MSP hike before the sowing of Kharif crops will give farmers an indication about the price which they would get and help them in deciding which crops to grow, he added.

The MSP of a total of 14 Kharif crops including paddy has been increased in the range of Rs 92-523 per quintal. The maximum hike has been given in sesamum of Rs 523 per quintal, while the lowest Rs 92 per quintal is in the case of maize.

The MSP of all the14 crops for 2022-23 is higher by 46-131 per cent when compared to 2014-15.

The MSP for paddy was hiked by Rs 100 to Rs 2,040 per quintal for the 2022-23 crop year from Rs 1,940 per quintal in the previous year. The support price for the 'A' grade variety of paddy has been increased to Rs 2,060 per quintal from Rs 1,960.

Paddy is the main Kharif crop, the sowing of which has already begun during the Kharif season. The meteorological department has forecast that the 2022 Southwest monsoon will be normal at 99% of the long-term average.

The MSP of bajra has been increased by Rs 100 per quintal, while tur, urad and groundnut MSP has been hiked by Rs 300 per quintal each for a 2022-23crop year.

The MSP of cotton has been raised to Rs 6,080 for medium staple variety from Rs 5,726 per quintal last year, while the MSP for long-staple variety of cotton has been increased to Rs 6,380 per quintal from Rs 6,025 per quintal.

In the pulses category, the MSP of tur (arhar) has been increased to Rs 6,600 per quintal from Rs 6,300 last year, while that of moong raised to Rs 7,755 per quintal from Rs 7,275.