Rice
Sow in July, harvest around November
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 43,088 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Doesn't suit: Too dry without irrigation
- Needs care: Frost risk in November
- Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Too dry to grow on rain alone. It would need irrigation.
Needs about 970 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 230 mm it can use in a normal year, and 160 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 28 °C / 17 °C
- Aug 28 °C / 17 °C
- Sep 25 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
- Oct 21 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
- Nov 15 °C / 3 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Nights in November can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.
Soil
Soil for Rice: 9 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
- Most fields here are short of manganese.
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).
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 (December 2025): about ₹2,369 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹2,461 a quintal, the middle of 687 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹2,441 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,750 2021
- ₹1,820 2022
- ₹2,040 2023
- ₹2,200 2024
- ₹2,300 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 18 quintals of paddy an acre. That's a realistic target.
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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 manganese Your soil is likely short of manganese.
Spray manganese sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, on the young crop.
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 83%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 80%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 75%
- Calcium Ammonium Nitrate 2%