Niger Seed

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 110 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 140 mm it can use in a normal year (100 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 20 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.

Temperature

Grows best at 18–26 °C on average, and survives 11–34 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Nov 17 °C / 3 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 11 °C / -1 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 8 °C / -2 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 11 °C / 1 °C (outside its best range)

Nights in November can bring frost while the plants are young. Sow a little later, or cover the seedlings on cold nights.

Soil

Soil for Niger Seed: 9 out of 10 (good).

• The pH here suits it.
• Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.

Likes pH 5.5–6.5.

Money

Yield: about 1.3 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

Mandi price at last season's harvest (February–March 2026): about ₹9,350 a quintal across India's mandis.

Minimum support price: ₹10,052 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.

Prices are usually best in August.

Typical costs are about ₹8,000 an acre (seed, fertiliser, labour and hired machines, from the government's cost survey). They are spent whatever the harvest.