Divisi
When to plant Cashew in Kigoma
United Republic of Tanzania
Known here as mkorosho · korosho
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) | 3 Oct 2026 – 28 Mar 2027 opens in 1 week | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.5 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 10 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Kigoma leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 28 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kigoma
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For cashew in Kigoma, 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 Kigoma
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 938 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 769 mm in the driest of 8 districts to about 1,046 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, October, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.0 °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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 72% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 217 growing days · about 850 mm · October to May |
|---|---|
| 22% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 219 growing days · about 920 mm · October to May |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 8 areas within it
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 Kigoma
| Planting material | About 156 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 52 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 14 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 33 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 Kigoma 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 Kigoma?
Kigoma rates as favourable for cashew.
When should I plant cashew in Kigoma?
Typically 3 Oct 2026 to 28 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kigoma, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
