Mint (Pudina / Mentha)
Mentha arvensis, Mentha spicata and Mentha piperita
Two crops under one name — menthol mint (Japanese mint, Mentha arvensis), planted from suckers in February and distilled into mentha oil, and pudina (spearmint), a perennial kitchen-and-market leaf crop. Success comes down to fresh sucker material, weed-free ridges through the critical first 14 weeks, a well-timed cut on a bright sunny day, and access to a good distillation unit.
Quick Summary
The key points from this page in about two minutes — read it or have it read aloud.
Quick Summary
Mint in India is really two crops. The big commercial one is menthol mint (Japanese mint, Mentha arvensis), grown mainly in Uttar Pradesh — Barabanki, Sambhal, Chandausi, Rampur, Amroha, Moradabad, Lucknow — and in Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Bihar. It is grown for its oil, not its leaf: the fresh herb is steam-distilled into mentha oil, the source of natural menthol used in medicines, balms, toothpaste, mouth fresheners and flavours. India is the world's largest producer and exporter of natural mentha oil. The second crop is pudina, mostly spearmint (Mentha spicata), grown as a perennial for fresh leaf sold in vegetable markets, and in smaller amounts for spearmint oil.
Menthol mint is not grown from seed. It is planted from underground stems called suckers or stolons, in February to early March in the plains, using a fresh, healthy planting stock — not old, exhausted beds. A good crop is decided by four things: a clean, weed-free ridge through the first three to four months, steady irrigation every 10–12 days in the heat, a correctly-timed cut, and access to a proper distillation unit close to the field. It is cut about 100–120 days after planting, before the monsoon, then regrows and gives a second, smaller cut 80–90 days later. Cutting on a bright sunny day and distilling the same day protects the menthol.
The main risks are powdery mildew, rust, stolon rot and hairy caterpillar, plus heavy weeds — especially nutsedge — that can wipe out oil yield. Mentha oil has an active futures market, so price swings from year to year are large; plan the crop around a buyer and a distillation arrangement, not just around last year's price.
- Crop type
- Menthol mint: annual field crop from suckers · Pudina: perennial leaf crop
- Season
- Menthol mint planted Feb to early March (cold-tolerant CIM-Kranti also grows through winter); pudina almost year-round
- Suitable states
- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar
- Growing duration
- First cut 100–120 days after planting; second cut 80–90 days after the first
- Water requirement
- High — about 10 irrigations at 10–12 day gaps through summer
- Temperature
- Warm growing season (about 20–40°C); light rain at planting, sunny weather at harvest
- Soil type
- Well-drained loam or sandy loam, rich in organic matter, pH 6–8.2
- Difficulty level
- Moderate (weed control, distillation access, price swings)
- Expected yield
- Menthol mint: roughly 100–150 kg oil/ha in a season (up to about 200 kg/ha from two cuts with best varieties and management)
- Key risk
- Weeds, powdery mildew and rust, and a volatile oil price
Overview
Mint (pudina; menthol mint is called mentha in trade) is an aromatic herb of the Lamiaceae family. Four species are grown commercially in India: Japanese or menthol mint (Mentha arvensis), peppermint (Mentha piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata) and bergamot mint (Mentha citrata). Menthol mint is by far the largest crop, and India leads the world in natural mentha oil.
Menthol mint is grown as an annual field crop in the Indo-Gangetic plains, planted from suckers in late winter and harvested in early summer and again in the rains. Pudina (spearmint) is mainly a perennial leaf crop, grown around towns and in Tamil Nadu, Punjab and other states for the fresh-leaf market.
The two crops need the same basics — rich, well-drained soil, plenty of water and a clean bed — but they sell very differently: menthol mint is sold as oil to traders and processors, while pudina is a fresh vegetable-market crop sold by the bunch or quintal.
Crop timeline, sowing to harvest
A quick visual map of the season — jump to any section below for the detail behind each stage.
- Day 0
Planting suckers
Fresh, healthy suckers laid in furrows 5–6 cm deep on a well-prepared, manured field, rows 45–60 cm apart; February to early March in the north, earlier or later depending on variety.
- Day 10–20
Sprouting
Buds on the suckers sprout and shoots come up; a light irrigation right after planting and one more a few days later help the stand establish. Gap-fill within three weeks.
- Day 25–60
Tillering and runners
Shoots multiply and send out runners to fill the row. This is the weed-critical window — the first weeding at about 4 weeks, another 2–3 weeks later — plus the first nitrogen top-dressing.
- Day 60–100
Rapid herbage growth
The crop builds leaf and oil. Irrigate every 10–12 days in the summer heat, watch for powdery mildew and hairy caterpillar, and top-dress the next nitrogen split.
- Day 100–120
First harvest
Cut just above the ground on a bright sunny day when the lower leaves start to yellow and the crop is in full leaf, ideally in June before the monsoon; partly wilt and distil the same or next day.
- About 80–90 days after first cut
Second harvest
The stubble regrows after a top-dressing of nitrogen and irrigation, and the second cut follows, generally with lower herbage than the first.
Suitable states
States where this crop is grown at scale, highlighted below. Your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra is still the final word for your specific block.
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Himachal Pradesh
- Punjab
- Uttarakhand
- Haryana
- Delhi
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- West Bengal
- Sikkim
- Assam
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Meghalaya
- Nagaland
- Manipur
- Mizoram
- Tripura
- Gujarat
- Madhya Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Maharashtra
- Odisha
- Goa
- Telangana
- Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
- Puducherry
- Ladakh
- Chandigarh
- Lakshadweep
Grown here
Climate requirements
Menthol mint is a summer-growing plant of the Indo-Gangetic plains; its best oil comes from a crop that grows in warmth and is cut on sunny days, not one that finishes in cloudy, rainy weather.
Ideal temperature
Mint likes warm weather through most of the growing period — a mean of roughly 20–40°C. Cool weather at planting slows sprouting, which is why the cold-tolerant CIM-Kranti is useful where cold spells linger. Very hot, dry winds during regrowth stress the crop.
Rainfall
The crop likes light rain at planting and dry, sunny weather at harvest, because menthol content and oil quality are best on bright days. Heavy rain at harvest lowers oil yield, and long wet spells raise disease. In the plains it is largely an irrigated crop — the first cut is timed to finish before the monsoon.
Humidity
Moderate. Persistent humidity and dense, crowded stands favour powdery mildew, rust and leaf spots.
Sunlight
Full sun. Shade cuts oil content and yield.
Soil requirements
Mint is a heavy feeder that takes a lot from the soil in two quick cuts. Rotating with cereals or pulses and planting on land that did not carry mint the year before keeps stolon rot and nematodes down.
Suitable soil
A well-drained loam or sandy loam rich in organic matter suits mint best. Heavy, badly-drained clay holds water around the roots and stolons and invites stolon rot; very light, poor sand dries too fast for a crop that needs frequent water.
pH range
Best at about pH 6–8.2. Strongly acid soils (below about 5.5) need liming before planting.
Drainage
Good drainage is essential even though the crop is thirsty — water must reach the crop often but must never stand around the suckers or stolons.
Organic matter
Mint responds strongly to organic matter — about 20 tonnes per hectare of well-rotted farmyard manure or compost is worked in before planting.
Land preparation
Same four steps whichever region you are in — only the timing shifts with the sowing window.
- 1
Plough deep and level
Plough two or three times to a fine tilth and level the field well; menthol mint is irrigated every 10–12 days, so even levelling saves water and prevents pooling.
- 2
Add manure and basal fertiliser
Mix about 20 t/ha of well-rotted FYM or compost into the soil and apply the basal fertiliser dose (phosphorus, potash and part of the nitrogen).
- 3
Choose and prepare fresh planting material
Take suckers from a fresh, vigorous, disease-free nursery or first-year crop. Old, worn-out beds run down in vigour and carry disease. A small sucker nursery raised the previous season pays for itself.
- 4
Open furrows or ridges
Open furrows 5–6 cm deep, 45–60 cm apart, or make ridges, ready for laying suckers as soon as the soil has reached a good moisture.
Seed information
How the main varieties compare, so you can pick by duration, yield, disease pressure or what you are growing for.
| Variety | Duration | Yield | Disease resistance | Best state | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A CSIR-CIMAP menthol mint (Mentha arvensis) variety developed from the genotype MASP-19 and introduced around 2020. CIMAP reports about 20% higher oil than the existing checks, with a potential of roughly 180–190 kg oil per hectare and menthol near 74%. It matures in about 100–110 days. | 100–110 days (first cut) | About 180–190 kg oil/ha (potential) | No specific resistance claimed | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana | Main-season February planting, high oil yield |
A high-yielding, cold- and frost-tolerant menthol mint from CSIR-CIMAP (half-sib selection, released 2013) with about 80% menthol in the oil. Its distinctive trait is winter growth: from September to January, when other varieties die back in cold and frost, it stays green and keeps growing, and CIMAP reports about 100 kg oil/ha from a winter crop. In the main summer crop it gives 10–12% more oil than the best check varieties. | About 90–120 days (first cut, main spring crop) | Main crop: 10–12% more oil than the best checks; winter crop: about 100 kg oil/ha (CIMAP) | Cold- and frost-tolerant; no specific disease resistance claimed | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana | Cold or frost-prone areas, winter cultivation, main-season planting |
A CIMAP menthol mint released in 1999, bred by half-sib selection from HY-77 (Kalka) at Pantnagar, with about 80% menthol in the oil. It is early-maturing — first cut at about 90–100 days — so it suits later planting, and the breeder's patent reports tolerance to leaf spot, rust and powdery mildew. It gave about 189 kg oil/ha in the breeder's 1996 trial and was among the varieties with the most stable oil yield across years and locations. | About 90–100 days (first cut) | About 100–150 kg oil/ha typically; 188.7 kg/ha in the breeder's 1996 trial | Reported tolerant of leaf spot, rust and powdery mildew (breeder's patent) | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana | Late planting, stable performance across seasons |
A CIMAP variety developed for late transplanting, a tissue-culture somaclone selected from Himalaya (patent priority March 2003). In the breeder's trial, transplanted in April after the rabi harvest, it out-performed Kosi and Saksham in biomass and menthol yield. The oil carries about 77–78% menthol at 0.7–0.9% oil content. It tolerates waterlogging while suckers are multiplied, is propagated by suckers and matures in about 120 days. | About 120 days | Higher biomass and menthol yield than Kosi and Saksham when planted late (breeder's trial) | No specific resistance claimed | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana | Late (April) planting after a preceding crop |
A high-menthol CIMAP variety — a tissue-culture somaclone of Himalaya selected on a menthol-laced medium (patent filed November 2000). The oil carries about 82–87% menthol, and in the breeder's trials it gave about 22.6% more menthol per unit area than the best existing variety. It matures early: about 110 days in the patent trials, and recent CIMAP guidance is harvest at about 90 days. Oil content in field studies ran roughly 0.4–1.1% depending on crop age. | About 90–110 days (first cut) | About 22.6% more menthol per unit area than the best variety in the breeder's trials | No specific resistance claimed | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana | High menthol, early harvest, tight crop rotations |
A CIMAP menthol mint bred from a cross of Gomti and Kalka (HY-77); US plant patent filed April 1997. The oil carries about 80% menthol. In the breeder's trials the first cut gave 196–257 kg oil/ha (Pantnagar–Lucknow) and the second 88–187 kg/ha, with the best first harvest around 10 May; the patent reports resistance to rust and Alternaria leaf blight. A study in southern India recorded only about 107 kg/ha, so the higher figures are a northern-plains, good-management result. It is the parent of the tissue-culture varieties Saksham and Kushal. | About 120–130 days | First cut 196–257 kg oil/ha in breeder's trials (about 107 kg/ha in a southern-India study) | Reported resistant to rust and Alternaria leaf blight (breeder's patent) | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana | Full-season crop with high menthol |
The local pudina — spearmint (Mentha spicata) — that farmers and nurseries multiply from suckers or cuttings for the fresh-leaf market. Improved CIMAP spearmint cultivars such as Arka (carvone about 64%), Neera and MSS-5 exist for oil, but the everyday planting stock for leaf is the local type. | Perennial; first cut about 5 months after planting, then about every 3 months | Fresh leaf; spearmint oil trials about 65–140 kg/ha by cultivar | No specific resistance claimed | Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and most states near cities | Fresh pudina leaf for vegetable markets |
- Seed rate
- About 400–450 kg of suckers (underground stems) per hectare for menthol mint — roughly 160–180 kg per acre. Each sucker piece should carry a few buds.
- Certified seed
- There is no certified seed for menthol mint, because it is propagated from suckers. CSIR-CIMAP distributes suckers of its varieties through its Kisan Mela and field stations, and planting material is also available through progressive farmers and nurseries. Buy fresh, healthy suckers of a named variety, and change the planting stock every couple of years rather than replanting from tired old beds.
- Spacing
- Rows 45–60 cm apart with suckers laid end to end (about 10 cm apart) in furrows 5–6 cm deep. For pudina leaf, 40 × 40 cm is common.
- Seed treatment
- Dip the suckers briefly in a recommended fungicide solution before planting to protect against stolon rot and soil-borne fungi; confirm the product and dose with CIMAP or your KVK.
Sowing guide
Planting too late compresses the growth period and cuts oil yield sharply — trials show a February plant gives much more oil than a December or late-March plant for the same variety. Match the variety to your planting date.
- Best time
- Menthol mint in the northern plains: first week of February to second week of March (planting is possible from January to April; late-planting types like Kosi and Kushal go in later, and the cold-tolerant CIM-Kranti can also be grown through winter). Pudina for leaf can be planted almost year-round where water is available, with June–July common in the south.
- Row spacing
- 45–60 cm between rows
- Plant spacing
- Suckers laid end to end (about 10 cm apart) along the row
- Sowing depth
- 5–6 cm deep furrows, covered lightly
- Method
- Lay fresh suckers in moist furrows, cover with a thin layer of soil and give a light irrigation at once. A separate small sucker nursery raised through the winter supplies the next season's planting material.
Fertilizer schedule
A split dose beats one large dose applied at sowing — nitrogen especially is lost to the air and to leaching if it all goes in on day one.
- 1
Basal (at planting)
Day 0
Well-rotted FYM about 20 t/ha, plus about 60 kg P₂O₅ and 40 kg K₂O per hectare and roughly one-third of the nitrogen worked into the furrow.
- 2
First top-dressing
About 30–35 days after planting
A split of nitrogen (about 25–30 kg N/ha), after the first weeding and before an irrigation.
- 3
Second top-dressing
About 60–70 days after planting
Another split of nitrogen (about 20–25 kg N/ha) as the crop builds leaf, applied before an irrigation.
- 4
After the first cut
Within a week of harvest
A fresh dose of nitrogen (about 25–30 kg N/ha) and an irrigation to push a quick, even regrowth for the second cut. Total nitrogen for the crop is about 120 kg/ha, split over three to four doses.
Irrigation schedule
1. Planting to sprouting
Day 0–20
A light irrigation right after planting and another within a week; keep the furrow moist, never waterlogged, until shoots are up.
2. Tillering to peak growth
Day 20–100
Irrigate every 10–12 days through the summer heat — about ten irrigations for the spring crop. Heavy, quick-growing herbage means water stress shows up straight away as lost oil.
3. Before harvest
Last 10–14 days
Withhold water about a week before the cut so the leaves are not soaked when harvested and the crop is easy to cut and wilt.
4. After the first cut
Within a few days of cutting
Irrigate straight away after the top-dressing to trigger fast regrowth for the second cut.
Critical stages
- Establishment of suckers
- Peak herbage growth (weeks 6–14)
- Regrowth after the first cut
Water-saving tips
- Ridge planting on furrows with furrow irrigation uses less water than flooding flat beds and gives cleaner planting rows.
- A light straw or crop-residue mulch after weeding keeps the soil moist longer and holds down weeds between irrigations.
- Time the last irrigation before harvest carefully — irrigating too late wastes water and lowers oil quality.
Weed management
Common weeds
Organic control
- Hand-hoe or weed by hand about 4 weeks after planting and again 2–3 weeks later; the period from 4 to 14 weeks after planting is the critical time for weed control.
- Weeding and hoeing accounts for a large part of the cost of cultivation, so plan labour early — it is the biggest cost lever you have.
- Once the canopy closes, the dense crop suppresses most later weeds; after the first cut, weed and hoe again before the regrowth top-dressing.
Chemical control
- A pre-emergence herbicide cleared for mint (pendimethalin is commonly used) applied to moist soil right after planting can hold the first flush of weeds; confirm the product and dose with CIMAP or your KVK.
- Herbicides help but do not replace hand weeding — nutsedge in particular is not controlled by most pre-emergence products.
Nutrient deficiency identification
What a shortage of each nutrient actually looks like on the plant, so you can tell a deficiency apart from a disease before you spray the wrong thing.
Nitrogen
Visible symptom
Pale, yellowish-green leaves, thin stems and short, weak regrowth — mint is a very nitrogen-hungry crop, so this is the most common limit on herbage and oil, especially before the second cut.
Sulphur
Visible symptom
Uniform pale yellow-green colour of the youngest leaves and reduced growth on sandy, low-organic-matter soils; oil crops respond well to sulphur.
Zinc
Visible symptom
Shortened internodes, small, narrow, bunched leaves at the tips, and pale patches between veins on light or alkaline soils.
Iron
Visible symptom
Yellowing of the young leaves while the veins stay green, common on alkaline, calcareous or waterlogged soils.
Diseases to watch for
Symptoms, likely cause and what actually treats it — not just a spray name.
Powdery mildew
- Symptoms
- A white, powdery coating on the upper surface of leaves and stems, which turns leaves yellow and dry and makes them drop; lower leaves go first in dense, humid stands.
- Cause
- A fungus favoured by humid weather with cool nights, dense planting and heavy nitrogen; it is among the most serious diseases of mint in India.
- Treatment
- Spray a recommended sulphur-based or systemic fungicide as soon as the first white patches appear and repeat after the interval given on the label; confirm the product and dose with CIMAP or your KVK.
- Prevention
- Avoid crowding, do not over-apply nitrogen, keep the crop weed-free for air movement and rotate to a new field each year.
Mint rust
- Symptoms
- Orange to brown powdery pustules on the underside of leaves, especially from April to June, followed by yellowing, drying and heavy leaf shedding that cuts both oil and leaf-stem ratio.
- Cause
- The rust fungus Puccinia menthae, spread by spores and worse in humid weather in late spring.
- Treatment
- Spray a recommended fungicide at the first pustules and cut the crop on time; heavily rusted herbage gives poor oil.
- Prevention
- Use clean planting stock, rotate fields, clear old crop debris and volunteer mint, and avoid planting mint next to an old infected bed.
Stolon rot (charcoal rot)
- Symptoms
- Sprouts fail to emerge or wilt, and the underground stems (stolons) show black, dry rot — patchy, gappy stands that get worse each year on the same land.
- Cause
- Soil and sucker-borne fungi including Macrophomina and Rhizoctonia, worse in warm, poorly-drained soil and on old beds.
- Treatment
- No cure once stolons rot; remove affected patches and drench with a recommended fungicide to protect neighbouring plants.
- Prevention
- Plant only fresh, healthy suckers dipped in a fungicide, drain the field well, and rotate away from mint for at least a year.
Alternaria leaf spot
- Symptoms
- Brown, round to irregular spots on the leaves that join into larger dead patches and cause premature leaf drop.
- Cause
- The fungus Alternaria, favoured by warm humid weather and dense, weak, nitrogen-starved growth.
- Treatment
- A recommended fungicide spray where spots are spreading; confirm the product with your KVK.
- Prevention
- Balanced feeding, good spacing and field sanitation after each cut.
Pests to watch for
What to look for before the damage is visible, and organic options before you reach for a chemical.
Hairy caterpillar
- Identification
- Brown to reddish caterpillars covered in long hairs that feed in groups on the leaves, mostly in the hot weeks before and after the first cut.
- Damage
- They strip leaves and can defoliate patches of the crop quickly, cutting herbage and oil; the hairs make handling unpleasant.
- Organic control
- Hand-pick and destroy egg clusters and young colonies, use light traps to catch adult moths, and clean field bunds of weeds that harbour them.
- Chemical control
- A recommended insecticide when colonies are spreading; confirm the product and dose with your KVK and observe the waiting period before harvest.
Cutworm
- Identification
- Dull, greasy grey-brown caterpillars that hide in soil by day and cut young shoots at ground level at night.
- Damage
- Clipped young shoots and thinned, patchy stands in the first weeks after planting.
- Organic control
- Deep summer ploughing, clean cultivation, hand-picking caterpillars at dusk from fresh damage.
- Chemical control
- A recommended soil or bait treatment where damage is heavy, following label rules.
Red pumpkin beetle
- Identification
- Bright orange-red beetles that feed on leaves, making holes and notches, mostly in young crops in spring.
- Damage
- Leaf loss in the seedling stage and early regrowth, which slows canopy build-up.
- Organic control
- Hand-pick beetles in the morning, keep the field free of cucurbit weeds and volunteer plants that host them, and use neem sprays.
- Chemical control
- A recommended contact insecticide only when defoliation is heavy.
Aphids
- Identification
- Small, soft green or black insects clustered on tender tips and leaf undersides, with sticky honeydew and sooty mould.
- Damage
- Sap loss and leaf curling; heavy attacks slow growth and can affect oil quality.
- Organic control
- Neem seed kernel extract or soap sprays, and protecting ladybird beetles and lacewings.
- Chemical control
- A recommended systemic insecticide only if colonies are heavy and spreading, observing the waiting period.
Nematodes (root-knot)
- Identification
- Stunted, yellowing patches with small galls or swellings on the roots and stolons of dug-up plants.
- Damage
- Weak, uneven growth and reduced yield, worse when mint follows mint on the same land.
- Organic control
- Rotate with cereals, add well-rotted manure or neem cake, and use clean planting stock.
- Chemical control
- Soil treatment only as advised locally, since options for a herb crop are limited.
Common mistakes to avoid
The mistakes that cost growers the most, ranked by how often they show up in the field — not in the order you might expect.
- 1
Planting from old, worn-out beds or unchecked stock.
Why it hurts
Old beds lose vigour and carry stolon rot and nematodes into the new field. Use fresh, healthy suckers of a named variety, and renew the planting stock every couple of years.
- 2
Letting nutsedge and other weeds run in the first 14 weeks.
Why it hurts
The 4-to-14-week period is the crop's weed-critical window; weeds in this window take a big share of the oil yield and can make the crop uneconomic. Budget for two or three hand weedings.
- 3
Planting a variety at the wrong date.
Why it hurts
Kosi and Kushal are built for later planting, while CIM-Kranti is the cold-tolerant type for cold or frost-prone areas. Planting too late compresses the season and cuts oil yield.
- 4
Cutting in cloudy, wet weather or too early.
Why it hurts
Menthol content and oil recovery are best on bright, sunny days when the crop is in full leaf with lower leaves just yellowing. A cut in rain or before full leaf gives poor oil.
- 5
Skipping nitrogen and water after the first cut.
Why it hurts
The second cut depends on quick regrowth; without a nitrogen top-dressing and an immediate irrigation the second cut is thin.
- 6
Growing menthol mint without a plan for distillation and sale.
Why it hurts
The herb cannot wait — it must be distilled within about a day of cutting, and the oil price swings widely from year to year. Line up a distillation unit and a buyer before planting.
Harvesting
Cut menthol mint about 100–120 days after planting, when the crop is in full leaf and the lower leaves start yellowing — usually in June, before the monsoon. Harvest on a bright, sunny day. The second cut follows about 80–90 days later. For pudina leaf, the first cut comes about five months after planting, then about every three months.
Signs it is ready
- Crop in full leaf with a strong minty smell when a leaf is crushed
- Lower leaves beginning to yellow
- Bright, dry weather forecast for the next two days
- Stand about knee-high and dense across the field
Tools
- Sickles for cutting close to the ground
- Clean tarpaulins or a threshing floor to wilt the herb
- Bullock or tractor carts to carry herb straight to the distillation unit
Expected yield
Menthol mint typically gives about 20 tonnes of fresh herb per hectare in two cuts and roughly 100–150 kg of oil per hectare in a season (up to about 200 kg/ha from two cuts with improved varieties and best management). On an acre that is roughly 40–60 kg of oil, and more with a high-yielding variety.
Post-harvest & storage
Storage
The fresh herb does not store. Let it wilt in the field or on a clean floor for a few hours, then load it into the distillation tank the same day or next morning — delays lose oil. Steam-distil for about 2–2.5 hours; oil recovery is roughly 0.5–0.8% of fresh herb weight. Store the oil in clean, dry, airtight containers away from light and heat.
Packaging
Filter the oil and settle out water before storage, and use clean, dry stainless-steel, aluminium or food-grade drums so the oil does not pick up smell or moisture. For fresh pudina, tie in bunches and keep them cool and moist.
Transportation
Take the cut herb to the distillation unit quickly and gently, never in heaps that heat up. Fresh pudina bunches should travel in the cool of the day, in ventilated crates.
Shelf life
Fresh herb must be distilled within a day. Properly filtered and stored mentha oil keeps for many months in a cool, dark, airtight container. Fresh pudina leaf lasts only a few days without refrigeration.
Market prices
Today's mandi price near you, pulled live from the government's own Agmarknet data.
Live daily mandi prices from the government Agmarknet dataset.
Synced from data.gov.in (Agmarknet). Rates are ₹ per quintal.
Weather
Current conditions and a 5-day outlook for your selected location, with one line of stage-aware advice.
Pick your state for current conditions and a 5-day outlook.
Live data from Open-Meteo
Profit calculator
Your own cost sheet, expected yield and selling price — not ours.
Where the money goes
Share of the total cost per acre, using the calculator’s own default cost sheet below — adjust the numbers there to match your field and this picture will no longer apply to you exactly, but the ranking rarely changes.
- Labour26% (₹10,000)
- Fertiliser16% (₹6,000)
- Land rent16% (₹6,000)
- Machinery13% (₹5,000)
- Irrigation13% (₹5,000)
- Seed6% (₹2,500)
- Pesticide & weedicide6% (₹2,500)
- Interest4% (₹1,500)
Official downloads
Government and ICAR documents only — everything below is hosted on an official server.
CSIR-CIMAP, Lucknow
CIM-Unnati, CIM-Kranti, Kosi, Kushal, Saksham and other mint varieties, sucker distribution and package of practices
CSIR Aroma Mission
Support for aromatic-crop farmers, improved varieties and distillation units
National Horticulture Board — Mint
Mint species, varieties, agronomy and distillation notes
Kisan Call Centre — 1800-180-1551
Free crop advice in your language
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between pudina and mentha?
Pudina is the everyday name for mint, usually the spearmint (Mentha spicata) sold as fresh leaf in vegetable markets. Mentha in trade usually means menthol mint (Japanese mint, Mentha arvensis), which is grown for its oil — the fresh herb is steam-distilled into mentha oil, the source of natural menthol. They are related plants but are grown, sold and priced very differently.
When should I plant menthol mint, and how do I plant it?
In the northern plains, plant from the first week of February to the second week of March, using fresh suckers laid end to end in furrows 5–6 cm deep, rows 45–60 cm apart, at roughly 400–450 kg of suckers per hectare. CIM-Kranti is cold- and frost-tolerant and stays green through winter; Kosi and Kushal suit later planting. A light irrigation right after planting is essential.
How many cuts do I get, and how much oil?
Two cuts in a season: the first about 100–120 days after planting (around June) and the second about 80–90 days later. A typical crop gives roughly 100–150 kg of oil per hectare in a season, and improved varieties under good management can go higher — CIMAP reports up to about 200 kg/ha from two cuts.
Do I need my own distillation unit?
You need access to one. The herb must be steam-distilled within about a day of cutting. Many farmers use their own small distillation plant, or hire one nearby in the mint belt of Uttar Pradesh. Line this up before you plant, because a delay of a day or two costs oil.
What is the price of mint, and is there an MSP?
There is no MSP for mint. Fresh pudina is listed on Agmarknet as "Mint(Pudina)" — for example on 23 September 2026 modal prices of about ₹4,150–5,250 per quintal were reported at Patiala (Punjab) and Tamil Nadu markets. Mentha oil is listed as "Mentha Oil" at Uttar Pradesh mandis — on the same date roughly ₹1,10,000–1,34,000 per quintal (about ₹1,100–1,340 per kg) at places like Akbarpur and Salon — and also trades in futures on MCX. Both prices change daily and year to year.
Which mint variety should I choose?
Match the variety to your planting date and purpose. For the main February planting, CIM-Unnati is CIMAP's high-oil variety; CIM-Kranti suits cold or frost-prone areas; Kosi and Kushal are for later planting; Saksham is high in menthol and quick to mature. For fresh pudina leaf, use the local spearmint type from a healthy nursery or grower. Ask CIMAP or your KVK which types are available in your area.
Still have questions?
The FAQs above cover the common ones. For anything specific to your field and soil, your nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra is the authoritative answer.