Niger Seed
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 17 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹12,000–₹18,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹3,000–₹9,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Needs care: Warm in July
- Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 290 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 530 mm it can use in a normal year, and 400 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 / 24 °C (outside its best range)
- Aug 30 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
- Sep 30 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
- Oct 30 °C / 23 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Niger Seed: 9 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
Likes pH 5.5–6.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 1.4 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (your district's own figure looked wrong).
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.
How to make it work
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Short of nitrogen Your soil is likely short of nitrogen.
Add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.