Amaranth (Rajgira / Ramdana) Farming in India 2026
An ancient Indian grain and leafy vegetable, hardy and rich in protein.
Overview
Amaranth, known as rajgira or ramdana for the grain and chaulai for the leafy type, is an ancient Indian crop that is both a pseudo-cereal and a leafy vegetable. The grain has long been used in fasting foods such as rajgira ladoo and chikki and is now valued as a gluten-free, high-protein superfood. The leaves are a popular nutritious vegetable. Amaranth is hardy, fast-growing, drought tolerant and can be grown in the plains and hills, making it suitable for many regions including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and hill areas. Because it is already part of Indian food culture, it has both an established traditional market and a growing health-food market. For farmers it offers a low-input, short to medium duration crop that can be grown for grain, for leaves, or as a dual-purpose crop, with the grain market currently strongest around festival and fasting demand and the health-food trade.
Climate
Amaranth is a warm-season crop but is remarkably adaptable, grown in the plains in the warmer months and in the hills in summer. It likes warm, sunny weather and is drought tolerant once established, doing well with moderate rainfall. Grain amaranth has given high yields in hill regions as well as the plains. It does not need heavy water and tolerates some heat, but waterlogging and continuous heavy rain are harmful, and frost can damage the crop. Choose a sowing time that gives warm growth and dry weather at grain maturity.
Soil
Amaranth grows on a wide range of soils, from light sandy to medium loam, and is not very demanding. It does best on well-drained loam with moderate fertility and cannot tolerate waterlogging. A soil pH from about 6 to 7.5 is generally suitable. The seed is very small, so a fine, firm, well-prepared seedbed is important for even germination. Good drainage matters more than high fertility, which is part of why amaranth suits marginal and hill soils where richer crops are harder to grow.
Planting & Spacing
Amaranth is grown from seed and the sowing time depends on the region and whether it is grown for grain or leaves. The seed is very small and is sown shallow, often by broadcasting or line sowing mixed with sand for even spread, then lightly covered. A low seed rate of roughly 0.5 to 1 kg per acre is common for grain, with thinning to proper spacing. For leaf crops, denser sowing and repeated cutting are used. Rows for grain are often around 30 to 45 cm apart. Follow local recommendations for sowing dates, seed rate and spacing for your purpose and region.
Varieties
Several improved amaranth varieties have been released in India for grain, leaf and dual-purpose use, including types such as Gujarat Amaranth-1 (Rajgira-1), Arka Suguna and Annapurna, among others bred by ICAR institutes and state universities for yield, early maturity and adaptation to hills or plains. Grain types differ in seed colour and maturity, while leaf types are bred for tender, high-yielding foliage and good regrowth after cutting. Because the best variety depends on whether you want grain or leaves and on your region, ask your local university or KVK for the variety currently recommended for your area and purpose.
Care & Management
Amaranth is low-maintenance. It needs little irrigation and is fairly drought tolerant, though a few waterings in dry spells improve yield, and waterlogging must be avoided. Weed control in the first three to four weeks is the most important task because the small seedlings grow slowly at first. Fertiliser needs are modest; farmyard manure and a balanced basal dose based on a soil test are usually enough, and excess nitrogen can cause lodging and nitrate build-up in leaves. Keep the field weed-free early, water during long dry spells, and avoid heavy irrigation near grain maturity.
Pests & Diseases
Amaranth can be attacked by leaf-eating caterpillars, especially amaranth stem weevil and leaf webbers, aphids and the amaranth leaf caterpillar, and by diseases such as leaf spot, white rust and damping off in damp conditions. For leaf crops sold as vegetables, chemical use must be very careful because the leaves are eaten fresh. The best management is good drainage, field hygiene, resistant or recommended varieties, crop rotation and non-chemical methods where possible. Consult your local agriculture department before any spraying, especially on leaf crops, to stay within residue limits.
Yield & Harvest
Leaf amaranth is ready for the first cutting within about three to five weeks of sowing and gives several cuttings over the season. Grain amaranth takes longer, generally about three to four months, and is harvested when the seed heads mature and dry. The plants are cut, dried and threshed, and the very small grain is cleaned and graded. Because the grain is tiny and can shatter, careful, timely harvesting in dry weather is important to avoid losses. Clean, well-dried grain of uniform colour earns the best price for the food and health market.
Cost & Profit
Grain amaranth yields commonly fall in the range of roughly 4 to 10 quintals per acre depending on variety, region and management, with hill regions sometimes higher. Grain prices are often reported around 30 to 40 rupees per kg at the basic level, with clean, organic or health-food grade earning more, while leaf amaranth sells as a low-cost vegetable with multiple cuttings, and organic leaves earn a premium. These are rough figures that change with year and market, so verify locally. Because amaranth is low-input, hardy and has both a grain and leaf market, it can give steady returns, with the best income coming from clean grain sold to the health-food trade or value-added products.
These are indicative ranges. Actual cost and income vary by region, market and management, so verify locally.
Market & Demand
Amaranth has a strong traditional market in fasting and festival foods like rajgira ladoo, chikki and flour, plus a growing health-food market where the grain is sold as a gluten-free, high-protein superfood and popped or flaked product. Leaf amaranth has a steady vegetable market. Value-added forms include grain flour, popped amaranth, ladoo and chikki, breakfast products and health mixes. The biggest extra earnings come from clean grain and value-added products for the health and festival trade rather than raw grain alone. Linking to a processor, health-food buyer or forming a group to pop, mill and pack the grain helps capture this value.
Subsidy & Support
Amaranth, as a nutri-cereal or millet-type crop, can benefit from programmes promoting millets and nutri-cereals that support seed, production and value addition; check the current programme name with your district office, especially given recent national focus on millets and nutritious grains. State agriculture departments, KVKs and universities supply improved seed and guidance. Support for Farmer Producer Organisations, food processing and milling or popping units, agri-infrastructure and organic certification can help with value addition. Confirm present eligibility with your district agriculture office, as scheme names and budgets change.
Where to grow it in India
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow amaranth for both grain and leaves?
Is amaranth a low-cost crop to grow?
Where is the demand for amaranth grain?
Can amaranth be grown in the hills?
How careful do I need to be with pesticides on leaf amaranth?
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