₹16,000–₹24,000
per acre a year, before costs
once bearing, from about year 3
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹917–₹9,000 an acre a year
- Needs care: Risky: 15 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 15 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 1,300 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 590 mm it can use in a normal year, and 330 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 15–35 °C on average, and survives 5–46 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 36 °C / 27 °C
- Jul 36 °C / 27 °C
- Aug 35 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 35 °C / 26 °C
- Oct 33 °C / 25 °C
- Nov 30 °C / 24 °C
- Dec 29 °C / 23 °C
- Jan 30 °C / 22 °C
- Feb 32 °C / 23 °C
- Mar 35 °C / 25 °C
- Apr 36 °C / 26 °C
- May 37 °C / 27 °C
- Jun 36 °C / 27 °C
Soil
Soil for Cashew: 7 out of 10 (okay).
- The pH here suits it.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of zinc.
Likes pH 4.5–6.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 1.3 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (your district's own figure looked wrong).
A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 3 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (March–May 2026): about ₹14,855 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹11,475 a quintal, the middle of 6 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹9,000 a year at typical costs.
- ₹9,530 2021
- ₹10,180 2022
- ₹8,530 2023
- ₹10,500 2024
- ₹12,500 2025
Prices are usually best in February.
Typical costs are about ₹25,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.
How to make it work
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 1.5 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 32% 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.
-
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.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 32%