The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an increase in the minimum support price for all 14 mandated Kharif crops for the 2026–27 marketing season to ensure remunerative prices for farmers.The highest hikes are for sunflower seed at Rs 622 per quintal, cotton at Rs 557 per quintal, and nigerseed at Rs 515 per quintal.The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It said the revised MSP is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production.Addressing the media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, for the kharif season, the estimated payout to farmers will be Rs 2.60 lakh crore. He said an estimated over 824 lakh metric tonnes of crops will be procured in the season.He said, for ‘Grade A’ paddy, the MSP will be Rs 2,461 per qunital, for ‘Jowar Hybrid’, it will be Rs 4,023 per quintal, for bajra, the MSP will be Rs 2,900, and for Tur, it will be Rs 8,450 per quintal.The estimated margin for farmers over the cost of production is highest in moong at 61 per cent, followed by bajra and maize at 56 per cent each, and tur/arhar at 54 per cent. For the remaining crops, the margin is estimated at 50 per cent.The government said it had been promoting the cultivation of crops other than cereals, including pulses, oilseeds and nutri-cereals or Shree Anna, by offering higher MSP for these crops.The Cabinet also highlighted procurement trends over the years.According to official data, paddy procurement during 2014-15 to 2025-26 stood at 8,418 lakh metric tonnes, compared with 4,590 lakh metric tonnes during 2004-05 to 2013-14.Procurement of 14 kharif crops during 2014-15 to 2025-26 stood at 8,746 lakh metric tonnes, compared with 4,679 lakh metric tonnes during 2004-05 to 2013-14. The government said MSP payments to paddy farmers during 2014-15 to 2025-26 amounted to Rs 16.08 lakh crore, compared with Rs 4.44 lakh crore during 2004-05 to 2013-14.For all 14 kharif crops, MSP payments to farmers during 2014-15 to 2025-26 stood at Rs 18.99 lakh crore, compared with Rs 4.75 lakh crore during 2004-05 to 2013-14.