Maize
Sow in October, harvest around January
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
Grown on 1,980 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹30,000–₹45,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹8,000–₹23,000 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 290 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 80 mm it can use in a normal year (50 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 180 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 18–33 °C on average, and survives 10–47 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Oct 27 °C / 20 °C
- Nov 26 °C / 16 °C
- Dec 25 °C / 13 °C
- Jan 26 °C / 13 °C
Soil
Soil for Maize: 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 boron.
Likes pH 5.0–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 22 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 89% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 89% of this yield.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹1,928 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹2,450 a quintal, the middle of 47 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹26,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,440 2021
- ₹1,850 2022
- ₹1,980 2023
- ₹2,230 2024
- ₹2,280 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹22,000 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 23 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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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.
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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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.