Request for expeditious release of pending MSP reimbursement claims: Minister K H Muniyappa

Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa on Tuesday urged the Centre to expedite the release of pending Minimum Support Price (MSP) reimbursement claims amounting to Rs 1,446.36 crore.

In a memorandum submitted to Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, during a meeting in New Delhi, Muniyappa highlighted that the state has been actively procuring coarse grains and paddy/custom milled rice (CMR) from farmers under the MSP scheme.

He stated that provisional reimbursement claims totaling Rs 1,446.36 crore—pertaining to the Kharif Marketing Seasons (KMS) 2023-24 and 2024-25—have remained pending for a considerable period.

"The prolonged delay in the settlement of these claims is placing severe strain on the State's financial resources," the memorandum noted.

Muniyappa further informed that procurement operations for KMS 2025-26 are currently underway. As of January 31, 2026, more than 2,86,365 farmers have already registered to supply their produce under the scheme.

He emphasised that the timely availability of funds is essential to ensure prompt payment to farmers, sustain their confidence in the MSP mechanism, and enable smooth and uninterrupted procurement operations during the ongoing season.

The early release of these long-pending MSP reimbursement claims would greatly assist the State in making timely payments to farmers and in effectively implementing the procurement programme, Muniyappa added.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Muniyappa said that Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi had assured him of the early release of the funds.