Ragi (Finger Millet)
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–August) is over.
Grown on 3,955 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹14,000–₹21,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹7,000 to a profit of ₹279 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Not known: No soil score
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 340 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 1,200 mm it can use in a normal year, and 810 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 18–30 °C on average, and survives 8–35 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 29 °C / 21 °C
- Jul 29 °C / 22 °C
- Aug 29 °C / 22 °C
- Sep 29 °C / 21 °C
Soil
No soil score here: the soil tests don't say enough about nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium.
Likes pH 6.0–7.0.
Money
Yield: about 5.1 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹3,500 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 ₹3,000 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
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 36%