₹27,000–₹41,000
per acre a year, before costs
once bearing, from about year 6
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹5.5 lakh–₹5.6 lakh an acre a year
- Needs care: Risky: 9 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 6/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 9 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 1,460 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 1,060 mm it can use in a normal year, and 990 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 16–33 °C on average, and survives 7–39 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 31 °C / 25 °C
- Jul 30 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 30 °C / 24 °C
- Sep 31 °C / 25 °C
- Oct 31 °C / 25 °C
- Nov 31 °C / 24 °C
- Dec 32 °C / 24 °C
- Jan 32 °C / 23 °C
- Feb 32 °C / 24 °C
- Mar 33 °C / 25 °C
- Apr 33 °C / 26 °C
- May 33 °C / 26 °C
- Jun 31 °C / 25 °C
Soil
Soil for Arecanut: 6 out of 10 (okay).
Not in the score: nitrogen.
- Soil here is often too alkaline for it.
- Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of sulphur.
- Most fields here are short of boron.
Likes pH 5.5–6.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 1.2 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 6 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.
On rain alone it gets about 72% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 72% of this yield.
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹40,425 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹40,200 a quintal, the middle of 7 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹5.6 lakh a year at typical costs.
- ₹34,880 2021
- ₹36,500 2022
- ₹36,000 2023
- ₹30,880 2024
- ₹33,380 2025
Prices are usually best in February.
Typical costs are about ₹5.9 lakh an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.
How to make it work
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 3.4 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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Short of potassium Your soil is likely short of potassium.
Add about a quarter more potash (MOP) than the usual dose.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of sulphur Your soil is likely short of sulphur.
Use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of boron Your soil is likely short of boron.
Mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.