Ragi (Finger Millet)
Sow in November, harvest around March
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
No figures for this season in your district. Priced from mandis across India.
₹12,000–₹18,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹3,000–₹9,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Doesn't suit: Too cold in january
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 160 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 190 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 18–30 °C on average, and survives 8–35 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Nov 18 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
- Dec 15 °C / 3 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 13 °C / 1 °C (outside its best range)
- Feb 14 °C / 2 °C (outside its best range)
Nights in November can bring frost while the plants are young. Sow a little later, or cover the seedlings on cold nights.
Soil
Soil for Ragi (Finger Millet): 7 out of 10 (okay).
- Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of phosphorus.
- Most fields here are short of potassium.
Likes pH 6.0–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 4.2 quintals an acre here in its other seasons (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (March–April 2026): about ₹3,550 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹3,500 a quintal, the middle of 42 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹7,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹5,205 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹2,260 2021
- ₹2,280 2022
- ₹2,800 2023
- ₹3,300 2024
- ₹3,530 2025
Prices are usually best in January.
Typical costs are about ₹21,000 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 phosphorus Your soil is likely short of phosphorus.
Add about a quarter more DAP or single super phosphate than the usual dose, at sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of potassium Your soil is likely short of potassium.
Add about a quarter more potash (MOP) than the usual dose.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of sulphur Your soil is likely short of sulphur.
Use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of manganese Your soil is likely short of manganese.
Spray manganese sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, on the young crop.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.