Bajra (Pearl Millet)
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 80,632 acres here. Sold at 14 mandis in your district.
₹10,000–₹15,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹1,000 to a profit of ₹4,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough in a normal year. Keep one irrigation ready for a dry year.
Needs about 260 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 260 mm it can use in a normal year, and 210 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 29 °C / 22 °C
- Aug 29 °C / 21 °C
- Sep 29 °C / 21 °C
Soil
Soil for Bajra (Pearl Millet): 7 out of 10 (okay).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 6.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 4.2 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹2,978 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹3,095 a quintal, the middle of 6 mandis in your district (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹2,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,900 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,420 2021
- ₹2,170 2022
- ₹2,450 2023
- ₹2,370 2024
- ₹2,570 2025
Prices swing a lot from year to year, so income can be well above or below this range.
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
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 6.7 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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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.
About 91% of local fields of this crop get it.
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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.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 91%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 26%
- NPK Mixture 14%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 12%