Jowar (Sorghum)
Sow in September, harvest around January
This season's sowing time (September–October) is over.
Grown on 40,477 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹12,000–₹18,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹721 to a profit of ₹5,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 5 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 5 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 340 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 100 mm it can use in a normal year, and 60 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):
- Sep 31 °C / 23 °C
- Oct 30 °C / 22 °C
- Nov 30 °C / 20 °C
- Dec 30 °C / 18 °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 iron.
Likes pH 5.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 5.0 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (your district's own figure looked wrong).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹2,960 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹4,449 a quintal, the middle of 22 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹10,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹4,023 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,850 2021
- ₹2,210 2022
- ₹3,700 2023
- ₹2,990 2024
- ₹2,540 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 4.4 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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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 58%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 46%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 43%
- Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate / Monohydrate 37%