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 8/10
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 380 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 400 mm it can use in a normal year, and 120 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 34 °C / 25 °C
- Oct 33 °C / 24 °C
- Nov 30 °C / 23 °C
- Dec 29 °C / 22 °C
- Jan 30 °C / 22 °C
Soil
Soil for Safflower: 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
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.
How to make it work
-
Short of nitrogen Your soil is likely short of nitrogen.
Add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
Short of organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.