Tur (Arhar)
Sow in June, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 864 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹24,000–₹35,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹4,000–₹16,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Needs care: Frost risk in December
- Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 500 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 740 mm it can use in a normal year, and 530 mm in a dry year.
Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.
Temperature
Grows best at 18–38 °C on average, and survives 10–45 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 32 °C / 21 °C
- Jul 28 °C / 21 °C
- Aug 28 °C / 21 °C
- Sep 27 °C / 20 °C
- Oct 26 °C / 15 °C
- Nov 22 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
- Dec 18 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Nights in December can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.
Soil
Soil for Tur (Arhar): 9 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 4.5 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹6,500 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹9,500 a quintal, the middle of 114 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹24,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹8,450 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹5,740 2021
- ₹5,750 2022
- ₹8,120 2023
- ₹9,380 2024
- ₹6,260 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹19,000 an acre (seed, fertiliser, labour and hired machines, from the government's cost survey). They are spent whatever the harvest.