New Delhi, April 20
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today announced prices for kharif crops for 2005-06, which includes Rs 10 hike in minimum support price (MSP) for paddy and no increase in the case of cotton.
Giving details of the new kharif prices, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told newspersons that the common variety of paddy would have an MSP of Rs 570 as compared to Rs 560 for 2004-05.
In the case of paddy Grade A, the MSP for 2005-06 has been fixed at Rs 600 as compared to Rs 590 last year.
In the case of cotton of varieties F-414, H -777 and J- 34, the MSP remains at the last year’s level of Rs 1,760.
However, with regards to H-4 variety, the MSP has been increased by Rs 20, up from last year’s level of Rs 1,960. This year the MSP stands at Rs 1,980.
In the case of jowar, the MSP has been increased by Rs 10 to Rs 525 and the increase for bajra is also Rs 10 with the MSP being Rs 525 for 2005-06.
For maize, the MSP has been hiked by Rs 15 with its price being fixed at Rs 540 for 2005-06. For tur (arhar) the MSP has been fixed at Rs 1,400 or an increase of Rs 10 over last year.
The MSP for moong is now Rs 1,520 or an increase of Rs 110. For urad, the MSP has gone up by Rs 110 and stands at Rs 1,520.
Soyabean prices for yellow variety have increased by Rs 10 to Rs 1,010. There is, however, no increase in the black variety with prices remaining at Rs 900.
For sunflower seed, the increase in MSP is Rs 160, with price fixed at 1,500 for 2005-06.
Mr Chidambaram said prices for different groups of rice would be derived from the minimum support prices of paddy on the basis of hulling to milling ratios.
— UNI
