Ragi (Finger Millet)
Sow in July, harvest around November
This season's sowing time (June–August) is over.
Grown on 1.5 lakh acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹22,000–₹33,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹868–₹12,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 6/10
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 330 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 310 mm it can use in a normal year, and 190 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 18–30 °C on average, and survives 8–35 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 28 °C / 20 °C
- Aug 28 °C / 20 °C
- Sep 28 °C / 20 °C
- Oct 28 °C / 19 °C
Soil
Soil for Ragi (Finger Millet): 6 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 zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 6.0–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 8.1 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025): about ₹3,400 a quintal across mandis in your state.
Minimum support price: ₹5,205 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹2,220 2021
- ₹1,990 2022
- ₹2,610 2023
- ₹3,160 2024
- ₹3,350 2025
Prices are usually best in January.
Typical costs are about ₹21,000 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 5.3 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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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 98% of local fields of this crop get it.
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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.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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Short of sulphur Your soil is likely short of sulphur.
Use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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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.
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Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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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 98%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 83%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 8%
- Ammonium Phosphate Sulphate 3%