New Delhi: The government on Friday announced an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for copra by up to Rs 420 to Rs 12,100 per quintal for the 2025 season with a budget outlay of Rs 855 crore. A decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The MSP for 'milling copra' has been increased by Rs 420 to Rs 11,582 per quintal, while for 'ball copra' by Rs 100 to Rs 12,100 per quintal for 2025, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters.
The support price, which has been fixed based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), is for the fair and average quality of milling and ball copra varieties. The total financial implication would be Rs 855 crore.
The minister said the MSP has been fixed at 50 per cent higher than the cost of production. National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) will be the central nodal agencies for the procurement of copra and de-husked coconut under the price support scheme (PSS).
Copra production remains the highest in Karnataka with a 32.7 per cent share in the overall country's production, followed by Tamil Nadu at 25.7 per cent, Kerala at 25.4 per cent and Andhra Pradesh at 7.7 per cent share.
"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," a statement said. The copra season in India typically begins around January and runs through April.
