Cotton
Sow in June, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 7.4 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹39,000–₹58,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹11,000–₹31,000 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 620 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 750 mm it can use in a normal year, and 640 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–36 °C on average, and survives 15–42 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 37 °C / 26 °C
- Jul 30 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 29 °C / 23 °C
- Sep 30 °C / 23 °C
- Oct 31 °C / 19 °C
- Nov 29 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Cotton: 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 6.8 quintals of kapas (raw cotton) 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 ₹7,175 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹8,750 a quintal, the middle of 30 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹32,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹8,267 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
That is the price for medium staple kapas (raw cotton). Long staple kapas has ₹8,667 a quintal.
- ₹5,800 2021
- ₹9,200 2022
- ₹6,930 2023
- ₹6,920 2025
Prices are usually best in August.
Typical costs are about ₹28,000 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 6.3 quintals of kapas (raw cotton) an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.