The increase in MSP will give limited benefit to the producers of coarse grains

20-Jun-2024 06:18 PM

New Delhi. The central government is giving more emphasis on encouraging the producers of coarse grains and especially Shri grains or nutritious grains, which mainly include jowar, bazar and ragi i.e. millets. These crops are produced on a large scale in the Kharif season.

The government has increased the minimum support price of hybrid jowar by 6 percent to Rs 3371 per quintal,

bajra by 5 percent to Rs 2625 per quintal, ragi by 11.5 percent to Rs 4290 per quintal in the category of coarse grains for the current Kharif season as compared to last year and has fixed the minimum support price of maize by 6.5 percent to Rs 2225 per quintal.

Ragi is an important member of the Shri grain crops family and is cultivated on a large scale in some other states including Karnataka.

There has been a tremendous increase in the support price of Ragi, which can give a good incentive to farmers to increase its area and production, but the question is that if the open market price of Ragi falls below the support price, can the government buy it in the required quantity and help the farmers.

The price of maize is likely to remain high and strong because there are indications of its demand and consumption increasing rapidly in animal feed,

poultry feed and starch manufacturing industry as well as in ethanol production. Its use will continue to increase in the future as well, but its support price has not been increased as much as it should be.

The sowing of Kharif pulses has already started and now after the announcement of the support price, farmers will be able to make their strategy easily.

This time there is a possibility of good monsoon rains, due to which there can be good production of coarse grains in other states including Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat.