Conditions of Bajra Production:
It is mainly grown as a kharif crop, and is the second most important millet, which is used as food in the drier parts of our country. It is widely used as a fodder and in some parts also used for thatching.
Bajra is a crop of warm and dry climate. The ideal temperature for its growth is 25 °C to 30 °C and the annual rainfall must be less than 100 cm.
Bright sunshine after light showers is useful in the early growing period. It grows well in sandy loams, black and red soils. It is mostly sown between May and September and harvested between October and March. It is a rain-fed crop and is seldom irrigated.
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Areas of Bajra Production:
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About 75 per cent of the total production of bajra in India comes from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Rajasthan is the largest producer in India. Some quantities are also produced in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
There has been a wide fluctuation in the production of bajra in the last fifty years. Now the total production is about 75 lakh tons from about 105 lakh hectares of land. The average yield is about 750 kg per hectare.