Rice
Sow in November, harvest around March
Sowing time is now.
Grown on 84,826 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Needs care: Risky: 18 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 18 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 1,080 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 110 mm it can use in a normal year (50 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 90 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 20–30 °C on average, and survives 15–36 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Nov 30 °C / 17 °C
- Dec 29 °C / 15 °C
- Jan 30 °C / 15 °C
- Feb 33 °C / 18 °C
- Mar 36 °C / 21 °C
Soil
Soil for Rice: 7 out of 10 (okay).
- 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 21 quintals of paddy an acre here in this season (district figures).
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (March–April 2026): about ₹2,384 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹2,800 a quintal, the middle of 36 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹2,441 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,890 2021
- ₹1,960 2022
- ₹2,060 2023
- ₹2,200 2024
- ₹2,300 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
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 18 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 63% of local fields of this crop get it.
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Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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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.
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Short of boron Your soil is likely short of boron.
Mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
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 63%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 49%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 16%
- Calcium Ammonium Nitrate 12%