Bajra (Pearl Millet)
Sow in June, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 24,358 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 330 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 160 mm it can use in a normal year, and 110 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):
- Jun 40 °C / 27 °C
- Jul 36 °C / 27 °C
- Aug 34 °C / 26 °C
Soil
Soil for Bajra (Pearl Millet): 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen.
- The pH here suits it.
- Salt in the soil here can harm it.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- 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 8.2 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹2,258 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹2,371 a quintal, the middle of 18 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹2,900 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹2,050 2023
- ₹2,250 2024
- ₹2,290 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
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 9.6 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
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.
-
Short of boron Your soil is likely short of boron.
Mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
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 100%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 98%