Niger Seed

Water

Rain falls about 2 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

Needs about 380 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 310 mm it can use in a normal year, and 150 mm in a dry year.

Temperature

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

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

• Jul 35 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 33 °C / 25 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 35 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
• Oct 35 °C / 19 °C (outside its best range)

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Soil

Soil for Niger Seed: 8 out of 10 (good).

Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.

• The pH here suits it.
• Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
• Most fields here are short of zinc.

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 81% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 81% of this yield.

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.

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.