Rice
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 2.1 lakh acres here. Sold at 6 mandis in your district.
₹35,000–₹52,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹6,000–₹23,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 14 irrigations short
- Needs care: Very hot in June
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 14 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 1,150 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 480 mm it can use in a normal year, and 360 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 41 °C / 29 °C (outside its best range)
- Jul 35 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
- Aug 33 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 34 °C / 25 °C
- Oct 34 °C / 20 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Days in June get hotter than it likes. Time sowing so it flowers before then.
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.
Likes pH 5.5–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 11 quintals of paddy an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹3,869 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹4,100 a quintal, the middle of 3 mandis in your district (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹17,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,441 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹2,400 2021
- ₹3,200 2022
- ₹3,650 2023
- ₹2,960 2024
- ₹2,620 2025
Prices are usually best in April.
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 17 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 80% of local fields of this crop get it.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 80%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 56%
- Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate / Monohydrate 4%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 3%