Divisi
When to plant Carrot in Mecúfi
Cabo Delgado, Moçambique
Known here as cenoura
The carrot is a cool-season root crop grown for its sweet, crunchy taproot — the long root you pull from the ground.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 12 Dec 2026 – 10 Feb 2027 opens in 10 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 35.0 t/ha | about 50.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 12 Mar 2027 to 20 Jun 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–130 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 108–216 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 1 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Mecúfi leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 10 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mecúfi
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For carrot in Mecúfi, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2026/27 season in Mecúfi
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 858 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January and February look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.4 °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 one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 91% of this area. |
| 91% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 183 growing days · about 840 mm · November to May |
|---|---|
| 4% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 178 growing days · about 770 mm · November to May |
| 4% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 180 growing days · about 770 mm · November to May |
last updated 17 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What carrot needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.8 |
| Spacing | 20 cm between rows, 4 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium, phosphorus and boron |
What it takes to grow carrot in Mecúfi
| Planting material | About 750,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 63 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 32 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 168 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 | 108–216 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a carrot 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 Carrot with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Mecúfi 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.
Carrot 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 carrot grow well in Mecúfi?
Mecúfi rates as favourable for carrot.
When should I plant carrot in Mecúfi?
Typically 12 Dec 2026 to 10 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mecúfi, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
