Niger Seed
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
No recent figures for your district. Priced from mandis across India.
₹21,000–₹31,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹12,000–₹23,000 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 300 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 480 mm it can use in a normal year, and 330 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 18–26 °C on average, and survives 11–34 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 30 °C / 23 °C (outside its best range)
- Aug 29 °C / 23 °C (outside its best range)
- Sep 30 °C / 23 °C (outside its best range)
- Oct 29 °C / 20 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Niger Seed: 9 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it, though not most crops.
- Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
Likes pH 5.5–6.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 2.5 quintals an acre here (older figures, 2018-19).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October 2026): about ₹10,500 a quintal across India's mandis.
Minimum support price: ₹10,052 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹5,600 2021
- ₹6,380 2022
- ₹8,000 2023
- ₹8,000 2024
- ₹8,130 2025
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.