The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for copra for the 2026 season on Friday, December 12, ensuring higher remunerative returns for coconut farmers.
For 2026, the MSP for fair average quality (FAQ) milling copra has been fixed at ₹12,027 per quintal, while the MSP for ball copra has been set at ₹12,500 per quintal.
The latest revision marks an increase of ₹445 per quintal for milling copra and ₹400 per quintal for ball copra compared to the previous season.
Since 2014, the government has raised the MSP for milling copra from ₹5,250 to ₹12,027 per quintal and for ball copra from ₹5,500 to ₹12,500 per quintal — growth of 129% and 127%, respectively, according to the official release.
The government noted that the higher MSP aligns with its 2018-19 Union Budget commitment to fix MSPs at a minimum of 1.5 times the all-India weighted average cost of production. The move is expected to support farmers with better price stability and encourage increased copra production amid rising domestic and global demand for coconut products.
The procurement of copra under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) will continue to be handled by NAFED and NCCF as the central nodal agencies, release noted.
Milling copra is mainly used for oil extraction, while ball (edible) copra is consumed as a dry fruit and used in religious rituals. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the leading producers of milling copra, while Karnataka dominates ball copra production.
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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
