The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved higher minimum support prices for all six mandated rabi crops for the 2027-28 marketing season.

Safflower received the steepest increase of Rs 675 a quintal, taking its MSP to Rs 7,215. Rapeseed and mustard rose Rs 413 to Rs 6,613 a quintal, and lentil (masur) increased Rs 390 to Rs 7,390. Barley moved up Rs 136 to Rs 2,286, and gram (chana) rose Rs 83 to Rs 5,958. Wheat, the main winter cereal, got the smallest hike of Rs 25, reaching Rs 2,610 a quintal.

The pattern is deliberate. India depends heavily on imports of edible oils and pulses, so the government is offering bigger increases for oilseeds and pulses to push farmers toward crop diversification. The wheat hike, by contrast, slowed sharply from last year's Rs 160 increase.

The total payout to farmers is estimated at Rs 90,962 crore for 324 lakh tonnes of procurement in the 2027-28 marketing year. The government said the prices follow the Budget 2018-19 policy of fixing MSP at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. The margin is highest for wheat at 106 per cent, followed by mustard at 96 per cent.

Sowing of rabi crops begins in October and harvesting starts in April. For farmers, the message is clear: remunerative prices continue, with the strongest signals for those who shift from cereals toward pulses and oilseeds.