Niger Seed

Water

Rain falls about 1 irrigation (5 cm) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

Needs about 180 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 30 mm it can use in a normal year (0 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 120 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

Temperature

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

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

• Nov 27 °C / 12 °C
• Dec 21 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 18 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 22 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Nights in January can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.

Soil

Soil for Niger Seed: 7 out of 10 (okay).

Not in the score: boron.

• The pH here suits it.
• Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
• Most fields here are short of phosphorus.
• Most fields here are short of potassium.

Likes pH 5.5–6.5.

Money

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

On rain alone it gets about 84% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 84% of this yield.

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.