Orange (Mandarin, Kinnow)

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 800 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 1,970 mm it can use in a normal year, and 1,560 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 23–34 °C on average, and survives 12–38 °C.

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

• Jun 25 °C / 16 °C (outside its best range)
• Jul 25 °C / 17 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 25 °C / 17 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 24 °C / 15 °C (outside its best range)
• Oct 23 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
• Nov 20 °C / 9 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 16 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 15 °C / 4 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 16 °C / 5 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 19 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
• Apr 22 °C / 11 °C (outside its best range)
• May 24 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
• Jun 25 °C / 16 °C (outside its best range)

Months in orange are outside its best range.

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

Soil

Soil for Orange (Mandarin, Kinnow): 9 out of 10 (good).

• The pH here suits it.
• Many fields here are short of iron, which it needs a lot.

Likes pH 6.0–6.8.

Money

Yield: about 53 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 4 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.

Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–February 2026): about ₹3,636 a quintal across India's mandis.

Prices are usually best in June.

Typical costs are about ₹99,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.