NEW DELHI: Centre Wednesday approved a hike in minimum support prices (MSP) of 14 kharif crops for the marketing season 2026-27, with the most-popular kharif crop paddy getting an increase of Rs 72 per quintal (3%) to reach Rs 2,441 per quintal.Highest absolute increase in MSP over the previous year has been recommended for sunflower seed (Rs 622 per quintal), followed by cotton (Rs 557 per quintal), niger seed (Rs 515 per quintal) and sesamum (Rs 500 per quintal), signalling farmers to primarily opt for oilseeds over other crops to reduce edible oil import bill.The expected margin to farmers over their cost of production is estimated to be highest in case of moong (61%), followed by bajra (56%), maize (56%) and tur/arhar (54%), in continuation with govt’s focus on crop diversification to bring pulses and millets to the forefront of farmers’ choice. In percentage as well as absolute terms, the hike in MSP of maize and moong figured at the bottom of the list.The hike, approved by the cabinet, will come into force from the marketing season beginning Oct 1. Kharif crops are sown during monsoon season (June-Sept) and harvested in Oct-Nov. Govt estimates the total payout to farmers at Rs 2.6 lakh crore, factoring in projected annual procurement at 824.4 lakh tonne.Union I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new MSPs have been fixed to ensure remunerative prices for farmers and are at least 50% above the cost of production across all 14 crops — jowar, sunflower seed, cotton, soybean, ragi, tur/arhar, niger seed, urad, sesamum, bajra, groundnut, paddy, maize and moong. All-India weighted average cost of production includes costs such as hired labour, rent for leased land, expenses on seed, among others.