Jowar (Sorghum)
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 1,081 acres here. Sold at 4 mandis in your district.
₹9,000–₹14,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹3,000 to a profit of ₹1,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 390 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 570 mm it can use in a normal year, and 440 mm in a dry year.
Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–35 °C on average, and survives 8–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 39 °C / 27 °C
- Jul 32 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 30 °C / 24 °C
- Sep 32 °C / 23 °C
Soil
Soil for Jowar (Sorghum): 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
Likes pH 5.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 4.7 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹2,463 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹2,650 a quintal, the middle of 11 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹26 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹4,023 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
Prices are usually best in December.
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
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 7.2 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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Short of nitrogen Your soil is likely short of nitrogen.
Add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
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):
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 1%
- Urea 1%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 0%