Bajra (Pearl Millet)
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 98,608 acres here. Sold at 3 mandis in your district.
₹13,000–₹19,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹2,000–₹8,000 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 310 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 220 mm it can use in a normal year, and 160 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 36 °C / 27 °C
- Aug 34 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 35 °C / 24 °C
Soil
Soil for Bajra (Pearl Millet): 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen, copper and boron.
- The pH here suits it.
- Most fields here are short of phosphorus.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 6.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 10 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 70% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 70% of this yield.
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹2,313 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹2,425 a quintal, the middle of 2 mandis in your district (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹6,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,900 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
Prices are usually best in February.
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 8.9 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
Short of phosphorus Your soil is likely short of phosphorus.
Add about a quarter more DAP or single super phosphate than the usual dose, at sowing.
About 67% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
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.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 99%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 67%
- Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) 1%