Rs 475/quintal hike recommended for pulses MSP in rabi season

To boost production and check prices of lentils, government's advisory body on farm pricing CACP has recommended a sharp hike of up to Rs 475 per quintal in the minimum support price of pulses for winter season.
The body has suggested a hike of Rs 100 in wheat MSP (minimum support price) to Rs 1,625 per quintal the rabi crop (winter) against Rs 1,525 per quintal in the last year, sources said.
The CACP has submitted the MSP proposals for wheat and other winter crops for 2016-17 rabi season to the Agriculture Ministry. The MSP is the rate at which government buys the grain from farmers.

Wheat is the main crop grown in the rabi season and its sowing will begin from next month. Rabi crops will be marketed in 2017-18 starting April.
In case of pulses, the CACP has suggested a sharp hike in the MSP of 'masoor' and gram (chana) by up to Rs 475 to Rs 3,800 per quintal each for this year, sources said.
The MSP of gram was fixed at Rs 3,425 per quintal and that of masoor at Rs 3,325 per quintal in 2015-16.

That apart, the CACP has recommended increase in the barley MSP by Rs 100 to Rs 1,325 per quintal and safflower by Rs 300 to Rs 3,600 per quintal for the 2016-17 rabi season.

Higher MSP for rabi (winter) pulses has been suggested with an aim to boost domestic output and check price rise. MSP for kharif (summer) pulses was also raised sharply this year.
The government is targeting 20.75 million tonnes of pulses production this year on account of good monsoon. It expects 13.5 million tonnes of output from the ensuing rabi season, while 8.7 million tonnes is estimated to have been harvested in the just completed kharif season.
The Agriculture Ministry is in the process of moving a cabinet note in this regard.