Safflower
Sow in September, harvest around January
This season's sowing time (September–October) is over.
Grown on 261 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Doesn't suit: Too dry without irrigation
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- 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 400 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 130 mm it can use in a normal year, and 70 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 20–32 °C on average, and survives 5–45 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Sep 28 °C / 21 °C
- Oct 29 °C / 21 °C
- Nov 29 °C / 19 °C
- Dec 29 °C / 17 °C
- Jan 30 °C / 17 °C
Soil
Soil for Safflower: 9 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
Likes pH 6.5–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.1 quintals 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 (January–February 2026): about ₹6,866 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹5,965 a quintal, the middle of 10 mandis in your state (latest 12 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹7,215 a quintal (2027-28), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹4,680 2021
- ₹4,960 2022
- ₹4,030 2023
- ₹4,320 2024
- ₹7,080 2025
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.
How to make it work
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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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.