Bajra (Pearl Millet)
Sow in June, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 32 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹7,000–₹10,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹1,000–₹5,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 270 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 550 mm it can use in a normal year, and 470 mm in a dry year.
Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.
Temperature
Grows best at 25–35 °C on average, and survives 12–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 37 °C / 26 °C
- Jul 31 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 30 °C / 24 °C
Soil
Soil for Bajra (Pearl Millet): 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of sulphur.
Likes pH 6.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 2.5 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (your district's own figure looked wrong).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (October 2026): about ₹3,377 a quintal across mandis in your state.
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.
Prices are usually best in March.
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 nitrogen Your soil is likely short of nitrogen.
Add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
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 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.