Safflower

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 310 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 170 mm it can use in a normal year (120 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 190 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

Temperature

Grows best at 20–32 °C on average, and survives 5–45 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Oct 27 °C / 18 °C
• Nov 25 °C / 15 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 21 °C / 11 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 20 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 22 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 25 °C / 16 °C

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Soil

Soil for Safflower: 9 out of 10 (good).

• Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
• Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
• Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
• Most fields here are short of manganese.

Likes pH 6.5–7.5.

Money

Yield: about 3.1 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

Mandi price at last season's harvest (March–April 2026): about ₹5,081 a quintal across India's mandis.

This week: about ₹6,080 a quintal, the middle of 12 mandis across India (latest 12 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹4,000 a season after typical costs.

Minimum support price: ₹7,215 a quintal (2027-28), if you sell to government procurement.

Prices are usually best in December.

Typical costs are about ₹15,000 an acre (seed, fertiliser, labour and hired machines, from the government's cost survey). They are spent whatever the harvest.