Tomato
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 1,021 acres here. Last recorded in 2014-15. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹2.9 lakh–₹4.3 lakh
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹46,000–₹1.9 lakh an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Needs care: Warm in June
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
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 550 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 520 mm it can use in a normal year, and 390 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 20–27 °C on average, and survives 7–35 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 36 °C / 27 °C (outside its best range)
- Jul 33 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
- Aug 32 °C / 25 °C (outside its best range)
- Sep 32 °C / 25 °C (outside its best range)
- Oct 32 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Tomato: 7 out of 10 (okay).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of zinc.
Likes pH 5.5–6.8.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 186 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (no recent yield figures for your district).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹1,950 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹1,400 a quintal, the middle of 11 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹16,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹1,020 2021
- ₹1,250 2022
- ₹1,380 2023
- ₹2,250 2024
- ₹1,690 2025
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 ₹2.4 lakh an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2023–2025), as in farm cost surveys. 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.
About 100% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
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.
-
Short of boron Your soil is likely short of boron.
Mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
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 100%