Lok Sabha Question No. 5107 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-24
Subject: Impact of the increase in Cost of Agricultural Inputs
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Kuldeep Indora

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5107

## TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24 TH  MARCH, 2026

## IMPACT OF THE INCREASE IN COST OF AGRICULTURAL INPUTS

5107. SHRI KULDEEP INDORA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष और ͩकसान कãयाण मंğी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has made any assessment of the impact of the increase in the  cost  of  agricultural  inputs  such  as  seeds,  fertilizers,  diesel,  petrol  and  agricultural machinery on small and marginal farmers during the past few years;
- (b) the comparative details of the percentage increase in the prices of major agricultural inputs as seeds, fertilizers, diesel, petrol, pesticides and agricultural machinery, during the last ten years, year-wise and the corresponding produce such as wheat, paddy, rice, pulses and oilseeds during the same period;
- (c) whether the rapid increase in input costs has adversely affected the profitability and sustainability of agriculture; and
- (d) the long-term strategy and proposed measures of the Government to ensure income security for farmers, reduce the cost production and ease the financial burden particularly on small and marginal farmers?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ͪष एवं ͩकसान कãयाण राÏय मंğी (SHRI RAMNATH THAKUR)

(a) to (c): Every  year,  Government  fixes  Minimum  Support  Prices  (MSPs)  for  22 mandated agricultural crops for the country as a whole, based on the recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering the views  of State Governments  and  Central  Ministries/Departments  concerned.  The  22  mandated  crops include  14  Kharif  crops  viz.  paddy,  jowar,  bajra,  maize,  ragi,  tur  (arhar),  moong,  urad, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, nigerseed, cotton and 6 Rabi crops viz. wheat, barley, gram, masur (lentil), rapeseed & mustard, safflower and two commercial crops viz. jute and copra.

While  recommending  MSPs,  CACP  considers important factors like cost of production, overall demand-supply conditions, domestic and international prices, inter-crop price  parity,  terms  of  trade  between  agricultural  and  non-agricultural  sectors,  the  likely effect  on the rest of the economy, besides ensuring rational utilization of land, water and other production resources, including all-India weighted average cost of production.

Within the cost of production, CACP considers all costs in a comprehensive manner which include all paid out costs such as those incurred on account of hired human labour, bullock  labour/machine labour, rent  paid  for  leased  in  land, expenses  incurred  on  use  of material inputs like seeds, fertilizers, manures, irrigation charges, depreciation on implements and farm buildings, interest on working capital, diesel/electricity for operation of pump sets etc., miscellaneous expenses and imputed value of family labour. As per CACP reports, the details of last 10 years all-India weighted average cost of production of wheat, paddy, pulses and oilseeds included in MSP crops are given at Annexure I.

The details of last 10 years production of wheat, paddy, pulses and oilseeds included in MSP crops are given at Annexure II.

Government, in its Union Budget for 2018-19, had made an announcement to keep MSP at a level of minimum one and half times of the cost of production as a pre-determined principle.  Accordingly,  MSPs  for  all  mandated  Kharif,  Rabi  and  other  commercial  crops have  been  fixed  with  a  margin  of  at  least  50  percent  over  weighted  average  cost  of production.

(d): To  ensure  income  security  for  farmers,  including  small and  marginal  farmers, Government of lndia implements various schemes/ programmes, such as given below:

1. National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)
2. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oil Palm
3. National Mission on Edible Oils (NMEO)-Oilseeds
4. National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF)
5. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)
6. Soil Health & Fertility (SH&F)
7. Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
8. Agroforestry
9. Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)
10. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
11. Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP)
12. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
13. National Bamboo Mission
14. National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)
15. Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region
16. Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)
17. Integrated Scheme for Agriculture Marketing (ISAM)
18. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)
19. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY)
20.  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana  (PMFBY)/  Restructured  Weather  Based  Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS)
21. Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)
22. Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS)
23. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
24. Formation and Promotion of 10,000 new Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs)
25. Agri Fund for Start-Ups & Rural Enterprises (AgriSURE)
26. Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
27. Digital Agriculture Mission

## Annexure-I

Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.5107 due to reply on 24.03.2026

All India Weighted Average Cost of Production of Wheat, paddy, pulses and oilseeds included in MSP crops (in ₹ / quintal)

|   S.no. | Commodity          |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |
|---------|--------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
|       1 | Paddy              |      1020 |      1045 |      1117 |      1166 |      1208 |      1245 |      1293 |      1360 |      1455 |      1533 |
|       2 | Wheat              |       744 |       785 |       797 |       817 |       866 |       923 |       960 |      1008 |      1065 |      1128 |
|       3 | Tur                |      3237 |      3241 |      3318 |      3432 |      3636 |      3796 |      3886 |      4131 |      4444 |      4761 |
|       4 | Gram               |      1902 |      2124 |      2241 |      2461 |      2637 |      2801 |      2866 |      3004 |      3206 |      3400 |
|       5 | Urad               |      3455 |      3584 |      3265 |      3438 |      3477 |      3660 |      3816 |      4155 |      4592 |      4883 |
|       6 | Moong              |      3993 |      4065 |      4286 |      4650 |      4699 |      4797 |      4850 |      5167 |      5705 |      5788 |
|       7 | Lentil             |      1866 |      2015 |      2174 |      2366 |      2532 |      2727 |      2864 |      3079 |      3239 |      3405 |
|       8 | Groundnut          |      3314 |      3371 |      3159 |      3260 |      3394 |      3515 |      3699 |      3873 |      4251 |      4522 |
|       9 | Sesamum            |      4132 |      4188 |      4067 |      4166 |      4322 |      4570 |      4871 |      5220 |      5755 |      6178 |
|      10 | Nigerseed          |      3146 |      3366 |      3912 |      3918 |      3960 |      4462 |      4620 |      4858 |      5156 |      5811 |
|      11 | Soybean            |      1770 |      1852 |      2121 |      2266 |      2473 |      2587 |      2633 |      2805 |      3029 |      3261 |
|      12 | Sunflower          |      3282 |      3479 |      3481 |      3592 |      3767 |      3921 |      4010 |      4113 |      4505 |      4853 |
|      13 | Rapeseed & Mustard |      1504 |      1702 |      1871 |      2123 |      2212 |      2323 |      2415 |      2523 |      2670 |      2855 |
|      14 | Safflower          |      3025 |      3057 |      3049 |      3125 |      3294 |      3470 |      3551 |      3627 |      3765 |      3807 |

Source: Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP)

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.5107 due to reply on 24.03.2026

## Production of Wheat, paddy, pulses and oilseeds included in MSP crops (in LMT)

| S.no.   | Crop               |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 |   2022-23 |   2023-24 |   2024-25 |
|---------|--------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1       | Paddy              |   1566.12 |   1645.47 |   1691.37 |   1747.17 |   1783.05 |   1865.52 |   1942.07 |   2036.33 |   2067.38 |   2252.76 |
| 2       | Wheat              |    922.88 |    985.1  |    998.7  |   1035.96 |   1078.61 |   1095.86 |   1077.42 |   1105.54 |   1132.92 |   1179.45 |
|         | Total Cereals      |   2352.18 |   2519.81 |   2595.97 |   2631.33 |   2744.79 |   2852.79 |   2883.14 |   3036.28 |   3080.52 |   3320.5  |
| 3       | Tur                |     25.61 |     48.73 |     42.9  |     33.15 |     38.92 |     43.16 |     42.2  |     33.12 |     34.17 |     36.24 |
| 4       | Gram               |     70.58 |     93.78 |    113.79 |     99.38 |    110.78 |    119.11 |    135.44 |    122.67 |    110.39 |    111.14 |
| 5       | Urad               |     19.45 |     28.32 |     34.92 |     30.6  |     20.81 |     22.3  |     27.76 |     26.31 |     23.19 |     22.42 |
| 6       | Moong              |     15.93 |     21.65 |     20.23 |     24.55 |     25.09 |     30.85 |     31.66 |     36.76 |     31.03 |     42.44 |
| 7       | Lentil             |      9.76 |     12.24 |     16.22 |     12.28 |     11.03 |     14.94 |     12.69 |     15.59 |     17.91 |     16.54 |
|         | Total Pulses       |    163.23 |    231.29 |    254.16 |    220.76 |    230.25 |    254.63 |    273.02 |    260.58 |    242.46 |    256.83 |
| 8       | Groundnut          |     67.33 |     74.62 |     92.53 |     67.27 |     99.52 |    102.44 |    101.35 |    102.97 |    101.8  |    119.42 |
| 9       | Sesamum            |      8.5  |      7.47 |      7.55 |      6.89 |      6.57 |      8.17 |      7.89 |      8.02 |      8.47 |      8.93 |
| 10      | Nigerseed          |      0.74 |      0.85 |      0.7  |      0.45 |      0.41 |      0.42 |      0.33 |      0.29 |      0.27 |      0.4  |
| 11      | Soybean            |     85.7  |    131.59 |    109.33 |    132.68 |    112.26 |    126.1  |    129.87 |    149.85 |    130.62 |    152.68 |
| 12      | Sunflower          |      2.96 |      2.51 |      2.22 |      2.16 |      2.13 |      2.28 |      2.5  |      3.63 |      1.73 |      2.36 |
| 13      | Rapeseed & Mustard |     67.97 |     79.17 |     84.3  |     92.56 |     91.24 |    102.1  |    119.63 |    126.43 |    132.59 |    126.67 |
| 14      | Safflower          |      0.53 |      0.94 |      0.55 |      0.25 |      0.44 |      0.36 |      0.61 |      0.9  |      0.5  |      0.43 |
|         | Total Oilseeds     |    252.51 |    312.76 |    314.59 |    315.22 |    332.19 |    359.46 |    379.63 |    413.55 |    396.69 |    429.89 |

Source: Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

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## Annexure-II