Gram (Chana)
Sow in November, harvest around June
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Priced from mandis across India.
₹22,000–₹33,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹3,000–₹14,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Needs care: Cool in November
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 480 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 730 mm it can use in a normal year (540 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 200 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 15–29 °C on average, and survives 7–35 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Nov 18 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
- Dec 15 °C / 3 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 13 °C / 1 °C (outside its best range)
- Feb 14 °C / 2 °C (outside its best range)
- Mar 17 °C / 5 °C (outside its best range)
- Apr 20 °C / 9 °C (outside its best range)
- May 23 °C / 13 °C
- Jun 25 °C / 16 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Gram (Chana): 7 out of 10 (okay).
- Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
- Many fields here are short of phosphorus, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of potassium.
Likes pH 6.0–8.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 4.9 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (June–July 2026): about ₹5,550 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹7,000 a quintal, the middle of 283 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹16,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹5,958 a quintal (2027-28), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹4,710 2021
- ₹4,510 2022
- ₹4,790 2023
- ₹6,300 2024
- ₹5,530 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹19,000 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
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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.
-
Short of potassium Your soil is likely short of potassium.
Add about a quarter more potash (MOP) than the usual dose.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
Short of manganese Your soil is likely short of manganese.
Spray manganese sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, on the young crop.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.