Niger Seed
Sow in October, harvest around January
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
Grown on 6,138 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹11,000–₹16,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹3,000–₹8,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough in a normal year. Keep one irrigation ready for a dry year.
Needs about 260 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 80 mm it can use in a normal year (50 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 180 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):
- Oct 27 °C / 20 °C
- Nov 26 °C / 16 °C
- Dec 25 °C / 13 °C
- Jan 26 °C / 13 °C
Soil
Soil for Niger Seed: 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of zinc.
Likes pH 5.5–6.5.
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 (January–February 2026): about ₹8,763 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
-
Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
Short of boron Your soil is likely short of boron.
Mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.