Groundnut
Sow in November, harvest around March
Sowing time is now.
Grown on 6,600 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹35,000–₹53,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹5,000 to a profit of ₹12,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 7 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 7 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 in its months gives about 70 mm it can use in a normal year (50 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 10 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 31 °C / 24 °C
- Dec 30 °C / 23 °C
- Jan 31 °C / 22 °C
- Feb 33 °C / 23 °C
Soil
Soil for Groundnut: 7 out of 10 (okay).
Not in the score: iron.
- 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 phosphorus.
Likes pH 5.5–6.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 6.7 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (March–April 2026): about ₹6,531 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹6,375 a quintal, the middle of 4 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹2,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹7,517 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹8,410 2021
- ₹8,800 2022
- ₹8,540 2023
- ₹7,440 2024
- ₹6,200 2025
Prices are usually best in June.
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 11 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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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.
About 100% of local fields of this crop get it.
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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.
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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.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
-
Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
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) 100%
- Urea 71%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 56%