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To encourage production of pulses and oilseeds, the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has suggested an increase of up to Rs 1,000 per quintal in their minimum support price for this year's kharif season.
CACP, which advises the government on pricing policy for major farm produce, has recommended an MSP of Rs 4,500 per quintal for green gram (moong), Rs 4,300 per quintal for black mapte (urad) and Rs 4,000 per quintal for tur for the 2012-13 kharif season starting June, an official said.
Last year, support price of moong, urad and tur was Rs 3,500 per quintal, Rs 3,300 per quintal and Rs 3,200 per quintal respectively.
The CACP recommendations will be soon placed before Cabinet for final approval.
“Pulses, being short in supply, need special attention. The support prices recommended are near to their C2 cost, that includes all actual expenses in cash and kind incurred in production by actual owner plus rent paid for leased land, among others,” the official said.
India imports pulses to meet the domestic production shortfall of 3-4 million tonnes. Pulses output stagnated at around 15 million tonnes for some time, but crossed 17 million tonnes in the last two years, due to hike in support price.
Kharif sowing begins with the start of the South-West monsoon in June, and harvesting starts from October.
CACP has also suggested MSP of groundnut at Rs 3,700 per quintal, sesamum seed at Rs 4,200 per quintal, soyabean at Rs 2,200 per quintal and sunflower seed at Rs 3,700 per quintal for forthcoming kharif season.
Last year, the support price of groundnut was fixed at Rs 2,700 per quintal, seasmum at Rs 3,400 per quintal, soyabean at Rs 1,650 per quintal and sunflower seed at Rs 2,800 per quintal, respectively.
The official said oilseeds farmers need to be given maximum incentives to reduce the country's dependence on imports, which is more than Rs 30,000 crore a year.
Given the excess supply of rice due to bumper crop last year, the CACP has recommended only 15.7 per cent jump in MSP of paddy at Rs 1,250 per quintal for 2012-13, as against Rs 1,080 per quintal last year.
The Commission has suggested a 53 per cent increase in MSP of jowar at Rs 1,500 per quintal and 20 per cent jump in support price of maize and bajra each at Rs 1,175 per quintal, respectively, over the MSP last year.
The support price of cotton has been suggested at Rs 3,600-3,900 per quintal for this year.
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