Cumin

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 140 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 200 mm it can use in a normal year (150 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 40 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.

Temperature

Grows best at 17–26 °C on average, and survives 9–30 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Nov 17 °C / 3 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 10 °C / -1 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 7 °C / -3 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 10 °C / -1 °C (outside its best range)

Nights in November can bring frost while the plants are young. Sow a little later, or cover the seedlings on cold nights.

Soil

Soil for Cumin: 9 out of 10 (good).

• The pH here suits it.

Likes pH 6.8–8.3.

Money

Yield: about 3.0 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

Mandi price at last season's harvest (March–April 2026): about ₹19,375 a quintal across India's mandis.

This week: about ₹25,000 a quintal, the middle of 15 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹42,000 a season after typical costs.

Prices swing a lot from year to year, so income can be well above or below this range.

Prices are usually best in November.

Typical costs are about ₹33,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.