Bajra (Pearl Millet)
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Priced from mandis across India.
₹5,000–₹7,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹4,000–₹7,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 2 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 2 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 290 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 220 mm it can use in a normal year, and 130 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 25–35 °C on average, and survives 12–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 35 °C / 26 °C
- Aug 34 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 34 °C / 24 °C
Soil
Soil for Bajra (Pearl Millet): 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen.
- The pH here suits it.
- Most fields here are short of potassium.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of boron.
Likes pH 6.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.2 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (its government crop records list none for your district).
On rain alone it gets about 75% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 75% of this yield.
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹2,496 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹2,600 a quintal, the middle of 195 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹5,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,900 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,340 2021
- ₹2,010 2022
- ₹2,190 2023
- ₹2,300 2024
- ₹2,270 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹11,000 an acre (seed, fertiliser, labour and hired machines, from the government's cost survey). They are spent whatever the harvest.
How to make it work
-
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 organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
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.