Castor Seed
Sow in July, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (July–August) is over.
Grown on 42 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹18,000–₹27,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹6,000 to a profit of ₹3,000 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 450 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 1,130 mm it can use in a normal year, and 830 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 20–30 °C on average, and survives 15–39 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 29 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 30 °C / 24 °C
- Sep 30 °C / 23 °C
- Oct 29 °C / 21 °C
- Nov 26 °C / 16 °C
- Dec 23 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Castor Seed: 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: sulphur.
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of phosphorus.
- Most fields here are short of zinc.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.6 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (your district's own figure looked wrong).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹6,218 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹7,560 a quintal, the middle of 9 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹3,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹4,670 2021
- ₹6,580 2022
- ₹5,720 2023
- ₹5,530 2024
- ₹6,000 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹24,000 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
-
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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.