Rice
Sow in July, harvest around November
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 1.3 lakh acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹26,000–₹40,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹2,000 to a profit of ₹11,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 3 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 3 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 960 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 830 mm it can use in a normal year, and 700 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 20–30 °C on average, and survives 15–36 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 29 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 29 °C / 24 °C
- Sep 30 °C / 24 °C
- Oct 30 °C / 22 °C
- Nov 28 °C / 17 °C
Soil
Soil for Rice: 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of phosphorus.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.5–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 17 quintals of paddy an acre here in this season (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 87% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 87% of this yield.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (November–December 2025): about ₹2,300 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹2,461 a quintal, the middle of 687 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹7,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,441 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,870 2021
- ₹1,940 2022
- ₹2,040 2023
- ₹2,180 2024
- ₹2,300 2025
Prices are usually best in January.
Typical costs are about ₹29,000 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
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 19 quintals of paddy an acre. That's a realistic target.
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Short of nitrogen Your soil is likely short of nitrogen.
Add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
About 67% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
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.
About 38% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
Short of organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 67%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 51%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 38%
- Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) 7%