New Delhi [India], December 21 (HBTV): The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the minimum support price (MSP) for copra for the 2025 season.The new MSP for Fair Average Quality of milling copra has been fixed at INR 11,582 per quintal and for ball copra at INR 12,100 per quintal for the 2025 season.Approval in this regard was given by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).  

'A series of decisions have been taken for the welfare of farmers. It reflects our commitment, the Prime Minister's commitment towards improving the lives of farmers... In our country, Karnataka has the highest share of copra production... For procurement of copra, both NAFED and NCCF will be the central nodal agencies and apart from this, the state governments will have a big role in it, so this procurement will be done with the cooperation of the state government corporations,' Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.  

According to a government release, the Government had announced in the Union Budget of 2018-19 that the 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 with an aim to provide remunerative prices to the cultivators.  

'Accordingly, MSP for Fair Average Quality of milling copra has been fixed at INR 11,582 per quintal and for ball copra at INR 12,100 per quintal for 2025 season,' the release said.As per the release, the Government has increased MSP for milling copra and ball copra from INR 5,250 per quintal and INR 5,500 per quintal for the marketing season 2014 to INR 11,582 per quintal and INR 12,100 per quintal for the marketing season 2025, registering a growth of 121 per cent and 120 per cent, respectively.  

A higher MSP will not only ensure better remunerative returns to the coconut growers but also incentivize farmers to expand copra production to meet the growing demand for coconut products both domestically and internationally, the release said.  

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 procurement of copra and de-husked coconut under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), it added.   

(ANI)