Moth Bean
Sow in July, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 432 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹12,000–₹19,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹9,000–₹15,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 260 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 400 mm it can use in a normal year, and 290 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 24–32 °C on average, and survives 13–45 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 33 °C / 26 °C
- Aug 32 °C / 25 °C
- Sep 33 °C / 25 °C
Soil
Soil for Moth Bean: 9 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
- Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
Likes pH 6.5–8.2.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 1.6 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹9,525 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹9,750 a quintal, the middle of 3 mandis across India (latest 12 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹12,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹6,910 2021
- ₹6,570 2022
- ₹6,320 2023
- ₹5,950 2024
- ₹6,330 2025
Prices are usually best in October.
Typical costs are about ₹4,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2023–2025), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.