Who: Minimum Support Prices for Kharif Crops of 2015-16 season
What: Approved by the CCEA
When: 17 June 2015
Why: To increase agricultural production and productivity
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 17 June 2015 gave its approval for the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for Kharif Crops of 2015-16 season.
All the approved MSPs were based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) for the Price Policy for Kharif Crops for the Marketing Season 2015-16 except for pulses.
The CCEA decided to give a bonus of 200 rupees per quintal for pulsesover and above the recommendations of the CACP in view of a huge deficit of pulses in the country.
The approved MSPs of pulses per quintal, inclusive of bonus, are: Tur (Arhar) – 4625 rupees against 4350 rupees during the 2014-15 season; Moong- 4850 rupees against 4600 rupees; and Urad 4625 rupees against  4350 rupees during the previous season.
The increase in prices expected to give a strong price signal to farmers to increase acreage and invest for increase in productivity of pulses.
The prices of pulses have increased by over 50 per cent during the 2014-15 season due to inclement weather that subsequently resulted in import of 5000 quintals of imports by the government.
The MSPs for the common variety of paddy was increased to 1410 rupees per quintal against 1360 rupees during 2014-15 season and for Grade A variety the MSP was fixed at 1450 (increase of 50 rupees).
Hybrid and Maldandi varieties of jowar were raised by 40 rupees per quintal to 1530 and 1550 respectively.