Divisi
When to plant Cashew in So-Ava
Atlantique, Benin
Cashew is a tough evergreen tree that lives and bears nuts for 20 years or more.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 15 Mar 2027 – 31 Aug 2027 opens in 24 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.4 t/ha | about 2.0 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 60–90 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. | |
| Work it takes | 57–127 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 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for So-Ava 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 31 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in So-Ava
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For cashew in So-Ava, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2027 season in So-Ava
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2027 to November 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,054 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September and October 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. |
| What that supports | enough rain for one full main crop, 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 95% of this area. |
| 95% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 255 growing days · about 1,060 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 5% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 258 growing days · about 1,090 mm · March to November |
last updated 30 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What cashew needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 4.5 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 800 cm between rows, 800 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | sulphur, zinc and boron |
What it takes to grow cashew in So-Ava
| Planting material | About 156 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 49 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 13 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 31 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 | 57–127 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a cashew 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 Cashew with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes So-Ava 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.
Cashew 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 cashew grow well in So-Ava?
So-Ava rates as favourable for cashew.
When should I plant cashew in So-Ava?
Typically 15 Mar 2027 to 31 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across So-Ava, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
