The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a hike in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 14 Kharif crops for the 2025–26 marketing season, aimed at ensuring remunerative returns to farmers. The decision comes amid an early onset of the southwest monsoon, which is expected to boost kharif crop sowing that accounts for over half of India’s annual foodgrain output. The MSP for paddy, the staple kharif crop, has been increased by ₹69 per quintal to ₹2,369 — a rise of 3%. The Cabinet also announced significant hikes for pulses and oilseeds, with MSPs for some crops rising by up to 9%. The highest absolute increase was granted to nigerseed, up by ₹820 per quintal, followed by ragi (₹596), cotton (₹589), and sesamum (₹579). In the oilseeds category, MSP for groundnut has been raised by ₹480 per quintal, sunflower seed by ₹441, and soybean by ₹436, bringing soybean’s new price to ₹5,328 per 100 kg. Cotton’s MSP has been increased by 8.3% to ₹7,710 per 100 kg. Among pulses, tur (pigeon pea) saw a ₹450 hike to ₹8,000 per quintal, urad (black gram) increased by ₹400 to ₹7,800, and moong (green gram) rose by ₹86 to ₹8,768 per quintal. The total financial implication of the MSP revision is estimated at ₹2.07 lakh crore. Additionally, the Cabinet extended the interest subvention scheme for short-term agricultural loans, which will cost the exchequer ₹15,642 crore. This move aligns with the government's 2018–19 Budget promise of fixing MSPs at a minimum of 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. According to official estimates, the expected margin over cost of production is highest for bajra (63%), followed by maize and tur (59% each), and urad (53%). For all other crops, farmers are expected to earn at least 50% more than their production costs. The government emphasized its continued efforts to promote the cultivation of pulses, oilseeds, and nutrient-rich cereals, or Shree Anna, through higher MSPs. These efforts are designed to enhance farmer incomes, strengthen nutritional security, and encourage crop diversification. Official data indicates a sharp rise in procurement and farmer payouts over the past decade. Between 2014–15 and 2024–25, paddy procurement totaled 7,608 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), up from 4,590 LMT in the previous decade. For all 14 Kharif crops, total procurement reached 7,871 LMT, compared to 4,679 LMT earlier. The MSP payout to paddy farmers surged to ₹14.16 lakh crore, while total MSP disbursals for all Kharif crops amounted to ₹16.35 lakh crore — both marking over threefold increases. India’s agricultural calendar includes three cropping seasons: Kharif (sown in June-July, harvested in October-November), Rabi (sown post-monsoon and harvested from January), and summer crops (grown between Rabi and Kharif).