After facing massive protests from farmer groups, the government on Wednesday announced a 6 percent hike in wheat support price to Rs 1,840 per quintal and up to 21 percent increase in other rabi crops, a move that will give farmers Rs 62,635 crore additional income and help contain their simmering discontent over high input cost and low returns.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved higher minimum support prices (MSP) for six winter-sown or Rabi crops.

The decision will help farmers earn an additional income of Rs 62,635 crore, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here after the meeting.

Avik Saha, spokesperson of Swaraj India and MJ Khan, chairman of Indian Council of Food and Agriculture discussed this forward.

"It is a good announcement and let us hope it gets implemented," Saha said.

The MSP announced for Kharif crops didn’t get implemented because the announcement hasn’t resulted in prices at the mandi’s being at the MSP, he said.

“Mere announcements are nothing to celebrate but if the government implements it, of course, it is a step forward,” he added.

Khan said that the first part is the expression of intent, on that we must give the credit to the Prime Minister that he gave a call to the nation that let us double the income of the farmers by 2022.

“Earlier, we had been discussing about increasing the productivity and increasing the yields, but for the first time it happened,” Khan added.