Cotton
Sow in June, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 36,282 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹25,000–₹37,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹3,000 to a profit of ₹10,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 7 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 7 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 630 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 310 mm it can use in a normal year, and 160 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 31 °C / 22 °C
- Jul 29 °C / 22 °C
- Aug 29 °C / 22 °C
- Sep 30 °C / 22 °C
- Oct 30 °C / 21 °C
- Nov 30 °C / 19 °C
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 sulphur.
- Most fields here are short of zinc.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 4.2 quintals of kapas (raw cotton) an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹7,466 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹7,800 a quintal, the middle of 3 mandis in your district (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹5,000 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.
- ₹6,170 2021
- ₹9,480 2022
- ₹7,080 2023
- ₹7,250 2024
- ₹7,170 2025
Prices are usually best in September.
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 6.5 quintals of kapas (raw cotton) an acre. That's a realistic target.
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Short of sulphur Your soil is likely short of sulphur.
Use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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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.
-
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) 54%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 43%