Groundnut
Sow in November, harvest around March
Sowing time is now.
No figures for this season in your district. Sold at 2 mandis in your district.
₹17,000–₹26,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹14,000–₹23,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 1 irrigation short
- Doesn't suit: Too cold here in this season
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 1 irrigation (5 cm) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 250 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 20 mm it can use in a normal year (0 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 190 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–32 °C on average, and survives 10–45 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Nov 27 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
- Dec 22 °C / 7 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 20 °C / 7 °C (outside its best range)
- Feb 24 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
Nights in January can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.
Soil
Soil for Groundnut: 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
- Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.5–6.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.2 quintals an acre here in its other seasons (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 80% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 80% of this yield.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (April 2026): about ₹8,385 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹6,781 a quintal, the middle of 16 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹23,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹7,517 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
Prices are usually best in May.
Typical costs are about ₹40,000 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 4.7 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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Short of organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
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 88%