Divisi
When to plant Avocado in Manakara Atsimo
Fitovinany, Madagascar
Avocado (Persea americana) is a big evergreen tree that, once settled, can bear fruit for decades — one of the highest-value crops a smallholder can grow, for fresh eating and for export.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 29 Aug 2026 – 30 Jun 2027 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 7.7 t/ha | about 13.3 t/ha |
| Work it takes | 82–181 days per hectare, by hand | |
Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.
If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 28 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Manakara Atsimo yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 30 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Manakara Atsimo
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For avocado in Manakara Atsimo, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. You cannot flatten it, but you can farm it: plant along the contour rather than up and down, ridge or tie ridges to hold water on the slope, and expect shallower rooting than the crop would manage on flat ground.
The 2025 season in Manakara Atsimo
| When the rains are expected | September 2025 to September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 2,185 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 2,185 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.9 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can. |
| What that supports | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 96% of this area. |
| 96% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 2,340 mm · January to December |
|---|---|
| 4% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 2,470 mm · January to December |
last updated 17 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 40% of yield here.
What avocado needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 800 cm between rows, 800 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium, zinc and boron |
What it takes to grow avocado in Manakara Atsimo
| Planting material | About 150 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 25 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 7 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 42 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
| Hand work | 82–181 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a avocado crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.
What to watch for
Grow Avocado with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Manakara Atsimo as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.
Avocado in nearby districts
This calendar moves
Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.
Frequently asked questions
Will avocado grow well in Manakara Atsimo?
Manakara Atsimo rates as favourable for avocado.
When should I plant avocado in Manakara Atsimo?
Typically 29 Aug 2026 to 30 Jun 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Manakara Atsimo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
