New Delhi: Nearly all major kharif crops were sold below their minimum support prices (MSPs) across mandis (agricultural markets) in October, with only paddy and jowar trading higher than this time last year, businessline reported.This is the first month of the kharif harvest season.According to the report, even in case of paddy and jowar, only a small section of paddy farmers who managed to sell to government procurement agencies benefited from the MSP.According to agriculture ministry data cited by the daily, the prices of nine major oilseeds and crops at mandis – urad (black gram), tur (red gram), moong (green gram), soybean, groundnut, maize, bajra (millet), jowar (sorghum) and paddy – were lower than their respective MSP rates as of October. Further, barring paddy and jowar, the rates of the other seven crops were lower by 3-32% compared to October 2024.“Going forward, the prices of some commodities such as tur dal may firm up due to supply side issues, provided the government restricts cheaper imports. There is no hope for oilseeds prices to match the MSP levels till December by when farmers almost exhaust their produce,” experts told businessline.However, prices of some commodities may firm up if the government restricts cheaper imports, the report stated.The report further stated that among cereals, maize rates at mandis in October were 24% below its MSP of Rs 2,400/quintal, and 14% less than this time last year. The trend has continued from September, Business Standard reported. Though there was some improvement in prices between the two months, they remained below their respective MSPs, as per the government data.Notably, the Union government has imposed a 30% import duty on yellow peas, effective from November 1, to stem the fall in domestic pulses prices. It had announced a Rs 15,095.83 crore procurement plan for pulses and oilseeds, according to the report.The plan is to be implemented in Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh for Kharif 2025-26.