Rice
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 4.5 lakh acres here. Sold at 8 mandis in your district.
₹24,000–₹36,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹5,000 to a profit of ₹7,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 1,050 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 860 mm it can use in a normal year, and 750 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 37 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
- Jul 30 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 29 °C / 23 °C
- Sep 30 °C / 23 °C
- Oct 31 °C / 19 °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 iron.
Likes pH 5.5–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 14 quintals of paddy an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹2,175 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹2,200 a quintal, the middle of 3 mandis in your district (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹1,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,441 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,750 2021
- ₹1,640 2022
- ₹1,850 2023
- ₹2,100 2024
- ₹2,100 2025
Prices are usually best in October.
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 15 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 66% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
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 66%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 26%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 13%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 8%