Ragi (Finger Millet)
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–August) is over.
Grown on 9.9 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹13,000–₹20,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹1,000–₹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, even in a dry year.
Needs about 360 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 1,360 mm it can use in a normal year, and 1,130 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 32 °C / 25 °C
- Jul 32 °C / 25 °C
- Aug 33 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 32 °C / 25 °C
Soil
Soil for Ragi (Finger Millet): 8 out of 10 (good).
- 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 boron.
Likes pH 6.0–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 4.7 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (your district's own figure looked wrong).
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 ₹5,000 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
-
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.