Jowar (Sorghum)
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 6,337 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹9,000–₹13,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹4,000 to a profit of ₹331 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 9 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 9 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 510 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 100 mm it can use in a normal year, and 40 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–35 °C on average, and survives 8–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 42 °C / 28 °C
- Jul 39 °C / 28 °C
- Aug 36 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 38 °C / 25 °C
Soil
Soil for Jowar (Sorghum): 7 out of 10 (okay).
Not in the score: nitrogen, sulphur and boron.
- Soil here is often more alkaline than it likes.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
Likes pH 5.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.6 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹2,938 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹3,150 a quintal, the middle of 13 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹1,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹4,023 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,900 2021
- ₹2,140 2022
- ₹3,290 2023
- ₹3,020 2024
- ₹2,780 2025
Prices are usually best in June.
Typical costs are about ₹12,000 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 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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.