Varagu (Kodo Millet)
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Priced from mandis across India.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
- Doesn't suit: Too hot here in this season
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 430 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 240 mm it can use in a normal year, and 140 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 25–27 °C on average, and survives 5–33 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 41 °C / 28 °C (outside its best range)
- Jul 36 °C / 27 °C (outside its best range)
- Aug 34 °C / 26 °C (outside its best range)
- Sep 35 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
Days in June get hotter than it likes. Time sowing so it flowers before then.
Soil
Soil for Varagu (Kodo Millet): 7 out of 10 (okay).
Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.
- Soil here is often too alkaline for it.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
Likes pH 4.8–6.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
No yield records for this crop yet.
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹2,358 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹2,266 a quintal, the middle of 13 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov).
- ₹2,000 2021
- ₹2,240 2022
- ₹2,600 2023
- ₹3,000 2024
- ₹2,290 2025
Prices are usually best in August.
How to make it work
-
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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.