Rice
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 4.6 lakh acres here. Sold at 17 mandis in your district.
₹18,000–₹27,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹2,000–₹11,000 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 in a normal year. Keep one irrigation ready for a dry year.
Needs about 1,010 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 940 mm it can use in a normal year, and 810 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):
- Jun 38 °C / 28 °C (outside its best range)
- Jul 32 °C / 25 °C
- Aug 31 °C / 25 °C
- Sep 29 °C / 26 °C
- Oct 32 °C / 22 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
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.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.5–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 13 quintals of paddy an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹1,750 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹1,700 a quintal, the middle of 4 mandis in your district (latest 12 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹7,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,441 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,360 2021
- ₹1,410 2022
- ₹1,710 2023
- ₹1,900 2024
- ₹1,830 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.
-
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 93% 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 93%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 50%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 24%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 19%