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Wheat support price rises to ₹2,610 for the next marketing season

English हिंदी ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം தமிழ் తెలుగు

First brief 2 Oct, 2:38 pm IST Updated 2 Oct, 2:38 pm IST 0 developments 3 min read

Wheat fields in Haryana; file photo — Aman Rania · CC0

Where it stands

The government has raised the minimum support price for wheat from ₹2,585 to ₹2,610 per quintal for 2027–28. A quintal is 100 kg. For a farmer selling eligible wheat to a government procurement agency, the new rate means ₹25 more per quintal. The Cabinet decision also raises support prices for five other winter crops. Safflower receives the largest increase, at ₹675 per quintal. Mustard rises by ₹413 and lentil by ₹390. These prices concern the coming crop and its marketing season, not an extra payment automatically added to wheat already sold. A higher support price can improve a farmer's receipts when the crop is actually bought at that price. It does not guarantee that every farmer sells every bag to the government. Access to procurement, crop quality and the price available from private buyers still matter. Nor does a higher selling price necessarily mean a higher profit if cultivation costs have also increased.

Background

A farmer spends on seeds, fertiliser, labour and other inputs before knowing the price the harvest will fetch. If many farmers bring their crop to market together, prices can come under pressure. Minimum support prices give public agencies a pre-announced rate at which to buy eligible crops. The announced price and the act of buying are separate steps. Procurement agencies need purchase arrangements, and the produce must meet the applicable requirements. Wheat and rice bought for the central pool also support public food distribution. Other crops use their own procurement arrangements rather than an identical purchase system everywhere. Consider a farmer who sells 10 quintals of qualifying wheat at the support price in each season. At ₹2,585 per quintal, the sale brings ₹25,850. At ₹2,610, it brings ₹26,100: an increase of ₹250 for the same quantity. That is a change in sales receipts, not a calculation of profit after costs. The government announces prices before sowing so farmers can consider them while choosing crops. But price is only one part of that choice. Water, soil, local markets and expected costs matter too. A larger increase for an oilseed does not make it suitable for every wheat field.

How it developed

30 September 2026; rabi prices approved

How it started
The increase differs across the six winter crops

The Cabinet approved the prices on 30 September 2026 for the 2027–28 rabi marketing season. Rabi crops are generally grown during the cooler part of the year and sold after harvest. The decision gives farmers the new support rates before the coming sowing season. Barley rises from ₹2,150 to ₹2,286 per quintal, while gram rises from ₹5,875 to ₹5,958. Lentil rises from ₹7,000 to ₹7,390. Mustard moves from ₹6,200 to ₹6,613, and safflower from ₹6,540 to ₹7,215. The official cost comparison includes paid expenses and an estimated value for family labour. It is an all-India calculation, not each farmer's personal cost sheet. Farmers' groups have criticised the small wheat increase. The distinction is useful: a higher official price can still leave disagreement about whether it covers rising costs adequately.

Press Information Bureau Press Information Bureau Business Standard

Why it matters for UPSC

GS3 · Farm prices and procurement

For GS3, distinguish an announced support price, actual procurement and farm profit. Use the same quantity to explain the effect of a price change. Connect price incentives with crop diversification and food security without assuming every farmer has equal access to procurement.

Key terms

Minimum support priceA pre-announced price used for government procurement of specified crops. It offers a support mechanism when agencies purchase eligible produce. The announcement does not guarantee unlimited purchases from every farmer. Nor does it establish the price of every private sale.

ProcurementThe actual purchase of crops by government agencies or authorised organisations. This is different from announcing a support price. Purchase arrangements and quality conditions determine access. A farmer does not automatically receive the announced rate without a sale through those arrangements.

Rabi marketing seasonThe period in which winter-grown crops are marketed after harvest. A crop may be sown in one calendar year and sold in the next. The 2027–28 support-price decision therefore concerns the coming marketing season, not a retrospective increase for every earlier sale.

QuintalA unit of mass equal to 100 kg. Crop support prices are often quoted per quintal, so a farmer's gross receipts depend on both the rate and the quantity sold. Comparing identical quantities makes the effect of a price increase easier to see.

Receipts and profitReceipts are the money obtained from a sale. Profit is what remains after the relevant costs are deducted. A ₹25 increase per quintal raises receipts for the same quantity sold at that price. It does not prove that profit rises by the same amount.

Cost of production in the MSP calculationThe official calculation used here combines paid cultivation expenses with an estimated value for unpaid family labour. It uses an all-India weighted average. A stated margin over that benchmark is therefore not a promise of the same return to every farmer.

Crop diversificationGrowing a wider range of crops or shifting some land away from a dominant crop. Support prices can influence that choice, but water, soil, local buyers and cultivation risks also matter. A higher price incentive alone cannot ensure that farmers successfully switch crops.

Sources (3)

Press Information Bureau · official · Cabinet raises minimum support prices for rabi crops, marketing season 2027–282 Oct, 2:00 pm
Press Information Bureau · official · Agricultural procurement and minimum support prices2 Oct, 2:00 pm
Business Standard · Cabinet raises wheat MSP by ₹25 to ₹2,610 per quintal for 2027–282 Oct, 2:00 pm