Rabi MSP 2027-28: What Farmers Will Get for Wheat, Mustard, Lentil and Other Crops

The Centre has approved new Minimum Support Prices for all mandated Rabi crops for the 2027-28 marketing season. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the revised rates on September 30, 2026. The biggest increase is for safflower, followed by rapeseed and mustard and lentil.

For farmers preparing for the Rabi season, MSP is an important reference because it sets the government-announced minimum support price for procurement. The new rates cover wheat, barley, gram, lentil, rapeseed and mustard and safflower. The increase varies across crops, giving farmers different price signals before the coming season.

What Are The New Rabi MSP Rates?

Wheat MSP has been increased from ₹2,585 per quintal in the 2026-27 season to ₹2,610 per quintal for 2027-28. The increase is ₹25 per quintal. The government has placed the cost of production at ₹1,264 per quintal, giving the announced MSP a reported margin of 106% over that cost.  For barley, the new MSP is ₹2,286 per quintal, compared with ₹2,150 earlier. Gram MSP has increased to ₹5,958 from ₹5,875. Lentil or masur has received a larger increase, with MSP rising from ₹7,000 to ₹7,390 per quintal for the 2027-28 marketing season.

Rapeseed and mustard MSP has been raised from ₹6,200 to ₹6,613 per quintal. Safflower has received the largest increase, with its MSP rising from ₹6,540 to ₹7,215 per quintal. The increase is ₹675 per quintal for safflower and ₹413 for rapeseed and mustard.

The revised MSPs are:

Why The Increase Matters

The government says the revised MSPs are based on the policy of keeping MSP at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. For 2027-28, the reported margin over cost ranges from 50% for safflower to 106% for wheat under the government’s cost calculations.

The higher increases for pulses and oilseeds also fit the government’s push to increase their cultivation. Lentil, mustard and safflower have received larger absolute increases than wheat. Farmers still need to consider local yields, input costs, irrigation availability, market demand and procurement access before choosing their crops.

MSP is not the same as the price every farmer will automatically receive in the open market. Actual selling prices can vary by location, quality, demand and procurement arrangements. Farmers should therefore check local mandi prices and government procurement information before deciding when and where to sell their produce.

What About Procurement?

The government has also reported increased procurement of Rabi crops over the years. Between 2014-15 and 2025-26, procurement of six Rabi crops reached 392.1 lakh tonnes, compared with 230.2 lakh tonnes during 2004-05 to 2013-14, according to the latest government data.

For wheat alone, procurement during 2014-15 to 2025-26 was reported at 371.5 lakh tonnes. The government said MSP payments to wheat farmers during this period reached ₹7.31 lakh crore. These figures reflect procurement and payments reported by the government and do not mean that every farmer sold the entire crop at MSP.

Farmers growing pulses and oilseeds should also watch procurement announcements in their states. On September 30, the Centre approved ₹5,547.99 crore of MSP procurement under the Price Support Scheme for Kharif 2026-27 in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, covering tur, moong, soybean and sunflower.

What Farmers Should Check Before Sowing

Farmers should not select a Rabi crop based only on its MSP. Expected yield, seed cost, fertiliser requirement, irrigation, weather conditions and local market access can have a major effect on farm returns. A higher MSP does not necessarily mean higher profit if production costs or crop risks are also high.

Farmers should check recommended sowing windows and varieties with their nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture department. Soil testing can also help determine whether wheat, pulses or oilseeds are suitable for the available land. Crop choice should match local soil, water and weather conditions.

The new MSP announcement gives farmers an important price reference before the 2027-28 marketing season. For farmers, the next step is to compare the announced MSP with local production costs, expected yield and procurement access before finalising the Rabi crop plan.

The revised rates also show a larger increase for several pulses and oilseeds than for wheat. Farmers considering crop diversification can use these prices as one factor in their planning, while also checking local demand, procurement arrangements and agronomic suitability.