Parliament Question: Farmers suicide due to unremunerative agricultural prices

O.I.H. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO-369 ANSWERED ON 27/03/2026 FARMERS SUICIDE DUE TO UNREMUNERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRICES *369. SHRI RAMJI LAL SUMAN: Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE be pleased to state: (a) whether an increase in incidents of farmer suicides due to failure to receive remunerative prices for agricultural crops has been recorded; (b) whether more than one lakh farmers have committed suicide in the past decade, due to not receiving remunerative prices; (c) the details of farmers' suicides, State-wise, year-wise; (d) the steps taken by Government to ensure remunerative and fair prices for farmers in the country; and (e) the reasons which hinder giving a guarantee of purchase at Minimum Support Price (MSP) rate? ANSWER MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE (SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN) (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the house.STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 369 REGARDING “FARMERS SUICIDE DUE TO UNREMUNERATIVE AGRICULTURAL PRICES” FOR REPLY ON 27/03/2026 (a) to (c): The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs compiles and disseminates information on suicides in its publication titled ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’ (ADSI). The report till 2023 is available on NCRB website (https://ncrb.gov.in). Reasons for suicides are wide ranging. Agriculture is a State Subject. Ex gratia or relief is provided by State Governments as per State provisions & rules. (d) & (e): Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare has launched various schemes aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and production through direct yield enhancement include the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM), Mission for Aatmnirbharta in Pulses, National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm(NMEO-OP), National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds(NMEO-OS), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Crop Diversification Programme (CDP) and the Soil Health and Fertility Scheme. Government of India supports the States through appropriate policy measures and budgetary allocation for schemes for farmer welfare, to increase production, provide remunerative returns and income support. The Government has substantially enhanced the budget allocation of DA&FW from Rs. 21,933.50 crore BE during 2013-14 to Rs.1,30,561.38 crore BE during 2026-27. Every year, Government fixes Minimum 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 Union Budget for 2018-19 had announced the pre-determined principle to keep MSPs at levels of one and half times of the cost of production. Accordingly, Government had increased MSPs for all mandated Kharif, Rabi and other Commercial crops with a minimum return of 50 percent over all India weighted average cost of production from year 2018-19 onwards. The details of year wise Cost of Production and Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) of 22 mandated crops during last two years are given at Annexure. The Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) aims to ensure remunerative prices for farmers by strengthening the MSP framework and preventing distress sales. It provides price support for pulses, oilseeds, and copra, promotes procurement operations, enables price deficiency payments, and facilitates private sector participation to ensure fair returns to farmers. Under the scheme, oilseeds, pulses, and copra of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) are procured from registered farmers at MSP through the Price Support Scheme (PSS), in consultation with the concerned State Governments, whenever market prices fall below MSP. Additionally, States/UTs have the option to implement either the Price Support Scheme (PSS) or the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) for a particular oilseed crop during a procurement season. Further, to encourage domestic production and ensure remunerative prices, procurement of Tur, Urad, and Masur from pre-registered farmers is undertaken to the extent offered by them through Central Nodal Agencies under the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses till 2030-31. During the period from 2014-15 to 2025-26, the Government procured 160.15 lakh metric tonnes of oilseeds and 192.88 lakh metric tonnes of pulses. Under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), and made payments amounting to ₹88,765.87 crore and ₹1,08,184.78 crore respectvily.For strengthening of MSP procurement and expanding its benefits to more farmers, adequate number of Procurement centres are opened by respective State Government Agencies, taking into account the production, marketable surplus, convenience of farmers and availability of other logistics / infrastructure such as storage and transportation etc. Temporary purchase centres, in addition to the existing Mandis and depots/godowns are also established at key points. The procurement operation is a continuously evolving process and during the last few years, procurement processes under Minimum Support Price (MSP) have improved to ensure payment of MSP to farmer’s bank account directly and linkage of Aadhaar and Land records with the State’s procurement portals ensuring the farmers directly get the benefits of the MSP purchase. Increase in MSP procurement from Eastern States and North Eastern States during 2014-26 (upto February 2026) as compared to 2004-14 exhibits that the procurement operations have expanded in previously less covered areas. (Figure in LMT) Eastern States North Eastern States 2004-14 739.88 11.13 2014-26 (upto February 1492.71 38.77 2026) Increased MSP has benefited farmers of the country is also evident from data of procurement and MSP amount paid to the farmers. The details of procurement and MSP amount paid to farmers during 2004- 2014 and 2014-2026 (upto February 2026) for 22 MSP Crops (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) are given as under: 2004-2014 2014-2026 (upto February 2026) Total MSP Value (In Total Procurement Total Procurement (In Total MSP Value Lakh Crore) (In LMT) LMT) (In Lakh Crore) 6987 7.41 12,292 26.32 Announcement of Minimum Support Price (MSP) by the Government and sanction of procurement at MSP by Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs), impacts markets positively improving market price, even at or above MSP. Farmers participating in procurement as well as those selling in the open market benefit from the MSP announcement. Farmers decide the quantity of produce for sale at MSP based on their marketable surplus. Further, they are free to sell their produce anywhere if they get better price than the MSP.Annexure ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) & (e) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 369 DUE FOR REPLY ON 27.03.2026 All India weighted cost of production (₹/quintal) and Minimum Support Price (Marketing Season- wise) Sr. No. Commodities KMS 2024-25 KMS 2025-26 All India All India weighted weighted cost MSP MSP KHARIF CROPS cost of of production production Paddy (Common) 1533 2300 1579 2369 1 Paddy (Grade ‘A’) 2320 2389 Jowar (Hybrid) 2247 3371 2466 3699 2 Jowar (Maldandi) 3421 3749 3 Bajra 1485 2625 1703 2775 4 Ragi 2860 4290 3257 4886 5 Maize 1447 2225 1508 2400 6 Arhar 4761 7550 5038 8000 7 Moong 5788 8682 5845 8768 8 Urad 4883 7400 5114 7800 Cotton (Medium Staple ) 4747 7121 5140 7710 9 Cotton (Long Staple) 7521 8110 10 Groundnut 4522 6783 4842 7263 11 Sunflower Seed 4853 7280 5147 7721 12 Soyabean Yellow 3261 4892 3552 5328 13 Sesamum 6178 9267 6564 9846 14 Nigerseed 5811 8717 6358 9537 Annexure contd…All India weighted cost of production (₹/quintal) and Minimum Support Price (Marketing Season-wise) RABI RMS 2024-25 RMS 2025-26 RMS 2026-27 CROPS All India MSP All India MSP All India MSP weighted weighted weighted cost cost of cost of of production production production 15 Wheat 1128 2275 1182 2425 1239 2585 16 Barley 1158 1850 1239 1980 1361 2150 17 Gram 3400 5440 3527 5650 3699 5875 18 Masur 3405 6425 3537 6700 3705 7000 Rapeseed & 19 mustard 2855 5650 3011 5950 3210 6200 20 Safflower 3807 5800 3960 5940 4360 6540 COMMERCIAL CROPS 2024-25 2025-26 2026-27 21 Jute 3237 5335 3387 5650 3662 5925 2024 2025 2026 Copra (milling) 7350 11160 7721 11582 8018 12027 22 Copra (ball) 12000 12100 12500 Note: KMS: Kharif Marketing Season, RMS: Rabi Marketing Season ******