Sesame (Til)
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 16,249 acres here. Sold at 11 mandis in your district.
₹20,000–₹30,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹6,000–₹16,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 1 irrigation short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 1 irrigation (5 cm) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 350 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 310 mm it can use in a normal year, and 150 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 35 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
- Aug 33 °C / 25 °C
- Sep 35 °C / 24 °C
- Oct 35 °C / 19 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Sesame (Til): 9 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.
- The pH here suits it.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of zinc.
Likes pH 5.5–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 2.1 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 86% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 86% of this yield.
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹14,085 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹14,500 a quintal, the middle of 13 mandis in your state (latest 12 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹11,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹10,346 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹7,740 2021
- ₹9,550 2022
- ₹13,490 2023
- ₹12,030 2024
- ₹8,780 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 1.9 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
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.
-
Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
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 58%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 8%