Cowpea (Lobia)
Sow in June, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Priced from mandis across India.
₹18,000–₹28,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹9,000–₹18,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 310 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 1,590 mm it can use in a normal year, and 1,400 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 25–35 °C on average, and survives 15–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 32 °C / 26 °C
- Jul 32 °C / 26 °C
- Aug 33 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 32 °C / 25 °C
Soil
Soil for Cowpea (Lobia): 9 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: sulphur.
- The pH here suits it, though not most crops.
- Many fields here are short of phosphorus, which it needs a lot.
Likes pH 5.5–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 2.8 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹8,300 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹8,965 a quintal, the middle of 22 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹16,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹5,510 2021
- ₹5,430 2022
- ₹6,340 2023
- ₹7,030 2024
- ₹5,820 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹9,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2023–2025), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.
How to make it work
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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.