Jowar (Sorghum)
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
No figures for this season in your district. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹8,000–₹11,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹983–₹5,000 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 360 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 830 mm it can use in a normal year, and 700 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 38 °C / 27 °C
- Jul 31 °C / 25 °C
- Aug 30 °C / 24 °C
- Sep 31 °C / 24 °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 sulphur.
Likes pH 5.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 2.2 quintals an acre here in its other seasons (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹4,325 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹4,126 a quintal, the middle of 64 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹3,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹4,023 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,530 2021
- ₹2,180 2022
- ₹3,380 2023
- ₹2,280 2024
- ₹2,350 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 5.6 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.
About 45% of local fields of this crop get it.
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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.
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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.
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):
- Urea 45%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 4%
- Calcium Ammonium Nitrate 2%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 2%