Safflower
Sow in September, harvest around January
This season's sowing time (September–October) is over.
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Priced from mandis across India.
₹15,000–₹23,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹374–₹8,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough in a normal year. Keep one irrigation ready for a dry year.
Needs about 390 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 490 mm it can use in a normal year, and 380 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 31 °C / 24 °C
- Oct 31 °C / 24 °C
- Nov 31 °C / 24 °C
- Dec 32 °C / 23 °C
- Jan 32 °C / 23 °C
Soil
Soil for Safflower: 9 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen.
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
Likes pH 6.5–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.1 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹6,200 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.
- ₹4,640 2021
- ₹4,960 2022
- ₹4,000 2023
- ₹4,220 2024
- ₹6,520 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.