Safflower

Water

Rain falls about 7 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

Needs about 430 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 30 mm it can use in a normal year (10 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 100 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 32 °C / 21 °C
• Nov 31 °C / 18 °C
• Dec 31 °C / 16 °C
• Jan 31 °C / 16 °C
• Feb 34 °C / 18 °C

Soil

Soil for Safflower: 8 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 nitrogen.
• Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

Likes pH 6.5–7.5.

Money

Yield: about 2.9 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

Mandi price at last season's harvest (February–March 2026): about ₹5,375 a quintal at mandis in your district.

This week: about ₹5,965 a quintal, the middle of 10 mandis in your state (latest 12 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹2,000 a season after typical costs.

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

Prices swing a lot from year to year, so income can be well above or below this range.

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.