Ragi (Finger Millet)

A monsoon crop. Sow in Jun–Jul, harvest in Oct–Nov.

Check it on your land
Season
Kharif
JJASONDJFMAM
78% of its area. Also grown in rabi.
Ready in
110 days
about 3½ months
Water
320–360 mm
over its season
Temperature
18–30 °C
0° survives 8–35 °C 40°

When to sow and harvest

Kharif 78% of its area
Rabi 21% of its area
Today: kharif harvest
J J A S O N D J F M A M
Sow Growing Harvest
The year starts in June, with the monsoon. Your district can shift a few weeks.

Will it grow on your land?

Water
Season

Pick your place and water to see:

  • Whether Ragi (Finger Millet) suits your land Good fit, possible or won't work, with the reasons.
  • What it could earn an acre From yields near you and mandi prices.
  • Water and fertiliser it needs Irrigations for your water, and bags for one acre.

What it needs

Temperature

18–30 °C
0 °C40 °C

Survives 8–35 °C.

Water

320–360 mm over its season

Rain and irrigation together, worked out where most of it grows:

Tumakuru Hassan Mysuru Bengaluru South Mandya

Soil pH

4 acidic7 neutral9 alkaline

Likes neutral soil. Grows from pH 5.5 to 8.2.

Soil

  • Takes a little salt
  • Ordinary farm soil is fine
  • N Needs plenty of nitrogen and zinc
How the soil score works

Source: FAO ECOCROP crop requirements (via OpenCLIM/ecocrop); FAO-56 crop coefficients (Allen et al. 1998); IMD gridded daily rainfall (0.25°); IMD gridded daily max/min temperature (1°).

Fertiliser for one acre

Draft: check with your KVK
Urea nitrogen
42 kg 1 bag of 45 kg
DAP phosphate
26 kg half a bag of 50 kg
MOP potash
20 kg half a bag of 50 kg

Rain-fed: N 16, P₂O₅ 8, K₂O 8 kg an acre

Give the DAP and MOP at sowing, and the urea in two or three doses. If your soil card says a nutrient is low, add about a quarter more of it.

Watch out for

Draft: check with your KVK
  • Blast
    Disease

    Look for

    Eye-shaped spots on the leaves; the neck and fingers of the ear turn black.

    What to do first

    Grow a resistant variety; spray tricyclazole when spots spread. Follow the label or your KVK for the dose.

  • Pink stem borer
    Pest

    Look for

    The central shoot dries in young plants.

    What to do first

    Destroy stubble after harvest; spray only when damage spreads. Follow the label or your KVK for the dose.

  • Aphids
    Pest

    Look for

    Clusters of small insects on leaves and ears.

    What to do first

    Spray only if clusters are thick; ask your KVK.

Mandi price, month by month

Best month
December, ₹3,200
Lowest
June, ₹2,568
₹2,568
₹3,200
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Rupees a quintal, typical across India's mandis.

Government minimum support price (MSP): ₹5,205 a quintal for 2026-27.

Source: Agmarknet daily prices and arrivals (India Data Portal).

Where it grows in India

Area grown in India
12,46,798 ha
2024-25
Average yield
1.6 t/ha
2024-25
Most area
Tumakuru
Karnataka
Best yield
Vellore
4.4 t/ha

Districts with the most area (recent figures)

The map colours each district by yield, for districts growing it on at least 100 ha.

  1. Tumakuru, Karnataka 1,59,392 ha
  2. Hassan, Karnataka 1,01,455 ha
  3. Mysuru, Karnataka 93,593 ha
  4. Mandya, Karnataka 70,170 ha
  5. Bengaluru South, Karnataka 68,038 ha
  6. Bengaluru Rural, Karnataka 63,027 ha
  7. Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka 55,177 ha
  8. Kolar, Karnataka 53,727 ha
  9. Chitradurga, Karnataka 44,704 ha
  10. Chikkaballapura, Karnataka 41,166 ha

Ragi (Finger Millet) yield

  1. 0.2–0.8 t/ha
  2. 0.8–1.0 t/ha
  3. 1.0–1.2 t/ha
  4. 1.2–1.5 t/ha
  5. 1.6–4.4 t/ha
No data

Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2023-24 & 2024-25.

Where yields are highest

  1. Vellore, Tamil Nadu 4.4 t/ha
  2. Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu 4.1 t/ha
  3. Ranipet, Tamil Nadu 3.9 t/ha
  4. Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu 3.8 t/ha
  5. Erode, Tamil Nadu 3.7 t/ha
  6. Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu 3.6 t/ha
  7. Salem, Tamil Nadu 3.5 t/ha
  8. Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu 3.4 t/ha
  9. Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu 3.3 t/ha
  10. Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu 3.3 t/ha

Only districts growing it on at least 100 ha.

Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2023-24 & 2024-25.

Across India over the years

Yield (t/ha)

1.4 1.5 1.6
2023-24 2024-25
Latest 1.6 t/ha in 2024-25

Area (ha)

1.2M 1.2M 1.2M
2023-24 2024-25
Latest 12,46,798 ha in 2024-25

Only years in which most of the usual districts reported are shown.

Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2023-24 & 2024-25.

Soil and yield

How district soil tests line up with this crop's yields across India.

Ragi (Finger Millet) yields tend to be higher in districts with

  • More soil low in nitrogen weak 174 districts
  • More soil short of iron weak 174 districts
  • More soil that is alkaline weak 174 districts

Ragi (Finger Millet) yields tend to be lower in districts with

  • More soil medium in organic carbon moderate 174 districts
  • More soil medium in nitrogen weak 174 districts
  • More soil medium in potassium weak 174 districts

A pattern is not proof that soil causes the difference.

Source: Soil Health Card – soil nutrient analysis (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare).