Minimum Support Price and the Changing Nature of Rural Economy and Its Implications on Agriculture in Haryana.

This article examines the changing nature of agriculture and the rural economy in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana, India, focusing on the role of the Government of India's Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy. MSP, a price guarantee for 23 cereal crops, primarily benefits larger landholders and more educated farmers, while smaller and marginalized farmers receive less support, contributing to economic disparities. Despite MSP-driven cereal crop production, many farmers report stagnant or worsening incomes, with challenges including rising cultivation costs, groundwater depletion, climate change, and youth disengagement from farming. The study suggests that sustainable agricultural growth and improved rural livelihoods depend on crop diversification toward less water-intensive and protein-based crops, alongside policy reforms addressing market support and resource management.