Groundnut
Sow in July, harvest around November
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 3.0 lakh acres here. Sold at 4 mandis in your district.
₹15,000–₹23,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹18,000–₹25,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 410 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 230 mm it can use in a normal year, and 100 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–32 °C on average, and survives 10–45 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 28 °C / 21 °C
- Aug 28 °C / 21 °C
- Sep 29 °C / 21 °C
- Oct 30 °C / 21 °C
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 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 2.7 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025): about ₹7,031 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹8,821 a quintal, the middle of 2 mandis in your district (latest 11 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹17,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹7,517 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹5,500 2021
- ₹5,870 2022
- ₹6,740 2023
- ₹6,270 2024
- ₹5,290 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
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 9.0 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
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.
-
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):
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 83%
- Urea 74%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 3%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 3%