Bajra (Pearl Millet)
Sow in June, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 3.3 lakh acres here. Sold at 2 mandis in your district.
₹16,000–₹24,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹5,000–₹13,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 9/10
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 320 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 320 mm it can use in a normal year, and 220 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 25–35 °C on average, and survives 12–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 41 °C / 29 °C
- Jul 35 °C / 27 °C
- Aug 33 °C / 26 °C
Soil
Soil for Bajra (Pearl Millet): 9 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
Likes pH 6.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 8.9 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹2,250 a quintal at mandis in your district.
Minimum support price: ₹2,900 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,310 2021
- ₹1,990 2022
- ₹2,150 2023
- ₹2,290 2024
- ₹2,250 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹11,000 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 10 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
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 95%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 1%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 1%
- Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate / Monohydrate 0%