Safflower

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 580 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 900 mm it can use in a normal year (750 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 200 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.

Temperature

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

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

• Oct 22 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
• Nov 18 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 15 °C / 3 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 13 °C / 1 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 14 °C / 2 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 17 °C / 5 °C (outside its best range)
• Apr 20 °C / 9 °C (outside its best range)
• May 23 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
• Jun 25 °C / 16 °C

Soil

Soil for Safflower: 7 out of 10 (okay).

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

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 (June–July 2026): about ₹5,147 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.