Urad (Black Gram)
Sow in June, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
No recent figures for your district. Priced from mandis across India.
₹28,000–₹43,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹14,000–₹29,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 250 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 420 mm it can use in a normal year, and 330 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 22–35 °C on average, and survives 8–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 27 °C / 20 °C
- Jul 27 °C / 21 °C
- Aug 27 °C / 20 °C
Soil
Soil for Urad (Black Gram): 7 out of 10 (okay).
Not in the score: organic carbon.
- The pH here suits it.
- Salt in the soil here can harm it.
- Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
- Most fields here are short of potassium.
Likes pH 5.5–6.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 4.4 quintals an acre here (older figures, 2018-19).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹8,113 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹7,728 a quintal, the middle of 184 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹20,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹8,200 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹5,930 2021
- ₹5,700 2022
- ₹7,310 2023
- ₹8,230 2024
- ₹6,290 2025
Prices are usually best in October.
Typical costs are about ₹14,000 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
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Short of potassium Your soil is likely short of potassium.
Add about a quarter more potash (MOP) than the usual dose.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.