Jowar (Sorghum)
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 17,288 acres here. Sold at 8 mandis in your district.
₹15,000–₹23,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹3,000–₹11,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 1 irrigation short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- 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 400 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 360 mm it can use in a normal year, and 250 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 37 °C / 26 °C
- Jul 32 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 31 °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.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 4.5 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹4,235 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹4,126 a quintal, the middle of 64 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹6,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹4,023 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,540 2021
- ₹2,220 2022
- ₹3,380 2023
- ₹2,300 2024
- ₹2,330 2025
Prices swing a lot from year to year, so income can be well above or below this range.
Prices are usually best in November.
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 8.0 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
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.
About 61% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
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 61%
- Mono-Ammonium Phosphate (MAP) 5%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 4%
- NPK Mixture 3%