Parliament Question: Average Mandi Price of Wheat

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1820 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29TH JULY, 2026 AVERAGE MANDI PRICE OF WHEAT 1820 SMT. HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL: Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that as of May 2026, the average mandi price of wheat in Punjab was Rs. 2479 per quintal below notified Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs. 2585 per quintal and that paddy prices were recorded 4.81% below MSP leaving thousands of farmers in distress and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether it is a fact that wheat procurement in Punjab for the 2026-27 Rabi Marketing Season had fallen by 69% in the first fortnight of April 2026 due to quality issues arising from unseasonal rain; (c) the details of the breakup of the gap between IVISP notified prices and average mandi realisation prices for key crops grown in Punjab wheat, paddy, moong, arhar, maize and mustard during the last five years; year-wise; (d) whether any mechanism exists to legally guarantee farmers the MSP as a floor price across all mandis including through penal provisions against below-MSP transactions by private traders; and (e) if so, the details thereoP ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA) (a): The procurement of wheat and paddy in Punjab by Government procurement agencies is undertaken at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed by the Government of India. During the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2026-27, the Government agencies procured wheat at the MSP of Rs. 2,585/quintal. The average mandi price of wheat in Punjab during May, 2026 was Rs, 2,597 per quintal which was above the notified MSP. The average mandi price of paddy recorded during the year 2025 in Punjab was Rs, 2,389 per quintal which was also higher than the MSP of paddy.(b): During the first fortnight of April 2026, 2.47 LMT of wheat was procured, which was 23% lower than the procurement of 3.23 LMT during the corresponding period of the previous year. Thereafter, in the interest of the farmers of Punjab, Government of India granted relaxation in specifications of wheat for RMS 2026-27 on 17tl' April, 2026 to ensure timely procurement of rain affected wheat. (c): The details of the year wise breakup of the gap between MSP notified prices and average mandi realization prices for key crops grown in Punjab during the last five years, year-wise are at Annexu re. (d) & (e): Every year, Government of India fixes N4inimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated agricultural crops for the country as a whole, based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering the views of the 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. 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. Government’s price policy is to ensure remunerative prices to farmers by offering to procure their produce at MSP. However, farmers are free to sell their produce to the Government procurement agencies at MSP or in the open market, whichever is advantageous to them. 88###ANNEXURE Wheat: Punjab-Wheat_Year wise Report for 01-Jan-2021 to 20-Jul-2026 Arrival Min Modal Commodity Max Price (in State/UT Commodity Year MSP Quantity (in Price (in Price (in Group RS/Qtl) MT) Rs/CItI) Rs/Qt 1) Punjab Cereals Wheat 2021 1,975 7,670,099.25 1,974 1,975 1,97E Punjab Cereals Wheat 2022 2,015 4,499,525.72 2,015 2,015 2,019 Punjab Cereals Wheat 2023 2,125 5,087,793.80 2,125 2,126 2,125 Punjab Cereals Wheat 2024 2,275 5,891,119.48 2,276 2,276 2,275 Punjab Cereals Wheat 2025 2,425 4,555,525.17 2,424 2,425 2,419 Punjab Cereals Wheat 2026 2,585 5,296,617.18 2,624 2,628 2,632 Source: As per the APMC market nodes reported data on the Agmarknet portal Paddy(Common): Punjab-Paddy(Common) Year wise Report for 01-Jan-2021 to 20-Jul-2026 Min Arrival ModHa Commodity Price Price Max Price State/UT Commodity Year MSP(rs/CHI) Quantity (in Group (in Rs/CItI) Rs/CItI Is/Qt 1) Cereals Paddy(Common 2021 9 1,960 ,960 1,961 Punjab Cereals Paddy(Common 2022 2 2,061 062 2,063 Punjab Cereals Paddy(Common 2023 183 16 ,290,092.97 2,204 204 2,205 Puniab Cereals Paddy(Common 2024 2 2,322 2,328 2,332 Cereals Paddy(Common 2025 2 2,388 Source: As per the APMC market nodes reported data on the Agmarknet portal Greengram(Moong): Punjab-Moong(whole)_Year wise Report from 01-Jan-2021 to 20-Jul-2026 Yearly Min Modal Max Mandi Commodity Price Price Price State/UT Commodity Year Arrival Group (in in rt Quantity RS/CItI) Rs/CItI) Rs/atl) (in MT) Punjab Pulses Green Gram(Moong)(Whole) 2022 7,755 4,426.00 4,328 5,522 7,275 Punjab Pulses Green Gram(Moong)(Whole) 2023 8,558 8,548.40 4,358 6,607 7,136 Punjab Pulses Green Gram(Moong)(Whole) 2024 8,682 5,381.56 5,341 6,789 7,366 Punjab Pulses Green Gram(Moong)(Whole) 2025 8,768 4,614.32 5,500 6,236 6,736 Punjab Pulses Green Gram(Moong)(Whole) 2026 8,768 2,314.50 4,912 7.336 7.601 Source: As per the APMC market nodes reported data on the Agmarknet porta!RedgramArhar Whole: Punjab-Arhar(whole) Year wise Re Irt from 01-Jan-2021 to 20-Jul-2026 Min Modal Max Arrival Commodity Price Price Price State/UT Commodity Year MSP Quantity Group (in n (in MT) MT) Punjab Pulses Red gram/Arhar/Tur(whole 2021 6,300 23.70 1,960 1,960 1,960 Punjab Pulses Red gram/Arhar/Tur(whole 2022 6,600 7.70 2,060 2,060 2,060 Source: As per the APMC market nodes reported data on the Agmarknet portal Maize: Punjab-Maize Year wise ReI Irt from 01-Jan-2021 to 20-Jul-2026 Min Modal Max Arrival Commodity Price Price Price State/UT Commodity Year MSP Quantity Group n (in MT) Rs/atl) Rs/CHI) Rs/CHI) Punjab Cereals Maize 2021 ,870 L97.18 349 1,497 1,530 Punjab Cereals Maize 2022 80,639.28 1,482 ,706 1,891 m2 Punjab Cereals Maize 9 1,181 1,432 1,637 Punjab Cereals Maize 2024 2 ,859 2,115 2,267 m2 Punjab Cereals Maiz o 1.626 1,987 2,144 Punjab Cereals Maize 2 .83,076.69 1,867 2,120 Source: As per the APMC market nodes reported data on the Agmarknet portal Mustard: Punjab-Mustard_Year wise Report Min Max Modal Arrival Price Price Price Quantity 01. 01 01-01 Commodity 01-01 01 01 State/UT Commodity Year Arrival Unit 2021 Price Unit Group 2021 to 2021 2021 to 20- 20-07 to 20 to 20 07 2026 07 07 2026 2026 2026 Punjab Oil Seeds Mustard 2022 5,050 179.75 Metric Tonnes 5,746 5,959 6,122 Rs./Quintal Punjab Oil Seeds Mustard 2023 5,450 236.40 Metric Tonnes 4,790 4,956 5,135 Rs./Quintal Punjab Oil Seeds Mustard 2024 5,650 1,628.01 Metric Tonnes 4,600 5,186 5,461 Rs./Quintal Punjab Oil Seeds Mustard 2025 5,950 3,568.27 Metric Tonnes 5,509 5,704 5,864 Rs./Quintal Punjab Oil Seeds Mustard 2026 6,200 1,188.19 Metric Tonnes 6,454 6,586 6.745 Rs./Quintal Source: As per the APMC market nodes reported data on the Agmarknet portal