MSP for wheat
MSP = Minimum Support Price- How often
- Every yearBefore the rabi sowing season, usually October
- Last released
- 30 Sep 20262027–28
2027–28, up from ₹2,585 in 2026–27.
Events on this chart
Source: CCEA, released 30 Sep 2026 · Chart: Clarity UPSC
- Previous
- ₹2,5852026–27
- Highest
- ₹2,6102027–28
- Lowest
- ₹2,0152022–23
6 readings since 2022–23.
Story
The price at which the government stands ready to buy wheat from farmers.
What is happening now As of 2027–28
For the 2027-28 rabi marketing season, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat is ₹2,610 per quintal, ₹25 or 1.0% more than ₹2,585 in 2026-27. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved it on 30 September 2026, at the level the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) had recommended, and the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare notified it on 6 October 2026.
The CACP projected the cost of growing wheat, counting paid-out costs and family labour (A2+FL), at ₹1,264 a quintal, so the MSP gives a margin of 106% over cost, the highest among rabi crops. Wheat got the smallest increase. Safflower (₹675), rapeseed and mustard (₹413) and lentil (₹390) got the largest, as the government promotes pulses and oilseeds.
Why it matters
Wheat is India's main rabi crop. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) tells farmers, before they sow in winter, the price at which government agencies stand ready to buy their wheat. That assurance shapes how much land goes to wheat and protects farmers when market prices fall at harvest.
Wheat bought at the MSP stocks the central pool for the National Food Security Act and other welfare schemes, so the MSP affects the food subsidy bill and, through market prices, what households pay for flour. The government also gives larger increases to pulses and oilseeds to encourage farmers to diversify away from wheat.
What it is
The Minimum Support Price (MSP) is the price at which the government stands ready to buy a crop from farmers. For wheat it is fixed per quintal for each rabi marketing season.
The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) recommends MSPs for 22 crops, and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approves them. The CACP weighs the cost of production, demand and supply, domestic and world prices, the terms of trade between farming and other sectors, and the effect on the rest of the economy.
Since 2018-19, MSPs are fixed at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. One MSP applies to the whole country. The CACP also uses it to steer the crop pattern towards national needs and to encourage better technology.
Read this number
- The publisher
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approves minimum support prices on the advice of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.
Terms on this page (2)
- CACP
- Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices
- CCEA
- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
History
- 8 Jan 1965The Agricultural Prices Commission is set up.
- 18 Mar 1985It is renamed the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
- 2018The Union Budget 2018-19 commits to Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) of at least 1.5 times the cost of production; the 2018-19 MSPs meet this for all mandated crops.
Readings
| Period | Value | Status | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027–28 | ₹2,610 | Final | 30 Sep 2026 |
| 2026–27 | ₹2,585 | Final | 12 Dec 2025 |
| 2025–26 | ₹2,425 | Final | 12 Dec 2025 |
| 2024–25 | ₹2,275 | Final | 12 Dec 2025 |
| 2023–24 | ₹2,125 | Final | 12 Dec 2025 |
| 2022–23 | ₹2,015 | Final | 12 Dec 2025 |
For UPSC
Know who recommends the Minimum Support Price (MSP), the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), and who approves it, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). Know the 22 mandated crops plus the fair and remunerative price for sugarcane, and the A2+FL versus C2 cost question behind the 1.5-times rule.