New Delhi: The Centre on Friday announced a hike in the minimum support price (MSP) for copra for the 2026 season, raising the rate for milling copra by up to ₹445 to ₹12,027 per quintal in an effort to ensure better returns for coconut farmers and support expanding demand for coconut-based products.

The MSP for ball copra has also been increased by ₹400 to ₹12,500 per quintal, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The revised MSPs, applicable to fair and average quality copra, are based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

Vaishnaw said that NAFED and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF) will continue as Central Nodal Agencies for procuring copra under the government’s price support scheme.

According to an official statement, the increased MSP is expected to encourage farmers to scale up copra cultivation to meet rising domestic and international demand for coconut products.

Since 2014, Copra MSP has seen a significant jump. The support price for milling copra has increased from ₹5,250 per quintal in 2014 to ₹12,027 for 2026 — a 129% rise. Ball copra MSP has gone up from ₹5,500 to ₹12,500, marking a 127% increase.

The move is aligned with the government’s 2018–19 Budget pledge to set MSPs for all mandated crops at a minimum of 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production to ensure remunerative prices for farmers.

The copra marketing season in India typically runs from January to April, with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala being the major producing states.PTI