Sesame (Til)
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 4,043 acres here. Sold at 14 mandis in your district.
₹22,000–₹33,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹7,000–₹18,000 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 330 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 350 mm it can use in a normal year, and 210 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 20–30 °C on average, and survives 10–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 33 °C / 25 °C
- Aug 32 °C / 25 °C
- Sep 33 °C / 24 °C
- Oct 35 °C / 20 °C
Soil
Soil for Sesame (Til): 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.5–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 1.9 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹14,700 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹14,750 a quintal, the middle of 7 mandis in your state (latest 7 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹13,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹10,346 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹7,690 2021
- ₹9,470 2022
- ₹12,760 2023
- ₹11,010 2024
- ₹8,310 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
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
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 2.2 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
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.
About 87% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
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.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 87%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 27%