New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday approved the minimum support price (MSP) for copra for the 2026 season.
The MSP for fair average quality of milling copra has been fixed at Rs 12,027 per quintal and for ball copra at Rs 12,500 per quintal for the 2026 season.
According to an official statement, the MSP for the 2026 season is an increase of Rs 445 per quintal for milling copra and Rs 400 per quintal for ball copra over the previous season.
A higher MSP will not only ensure better remunerative returns to the coconut growers but also incentivise farmers to expand copra production to meet the growing demand for coconut products both domestically and internationally, the Cabinet said.
The government has increased MSP for milling copra and ball copra from Rs 5,250 per quintal and Rs 5,500 per quintal for the marketing season 2014 to Rs 12,027 per quintal and Rs 12,500 per quintal for the marketing season 2026, registering a growth of 129 per cent and 127 per cent, respectively.
In order to provide remunerative prices to the cultivators, the government had announced in the Union Budget of 2018-19 that MSP of all the mandated crops will be fixed at levels of at least 1.5 times of all India weighted average cost of production.
According to the statement, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) will continue to act as Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs) for the procurement of copra under the Price Support Scheme (PSS).
Meanwhile, Tiptur copra, one of the highest-quality coconuts, has earned a distinct reputation in the market, enjoys strong domestic and international demand, and is now eyeing Geographical Indication (GI) recognition. This has been the long-standing demand of farmers from the region. Farmers have been urging that Tiptur copra, known for its exceptional quality and high demand across Asia’s largest coconut markets, be granted GI status.
(IANS)
