When to plant Chickpea in Halaba

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Chickpea

Central Ethiopia, Ethiopia

Known here as ሽምብራ (shimbra)

Chickpea is a knee-high, branching legume grown for its round, protein-rich seeds — the pea behind roasted snacks, stews and hummus.

Chickpea in Halaba, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure Rain-fed With irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 3 Jun 2027 – 13 Jul 2027 opens in 35 weeks 28 Oct 2026 – 7 Dec 2026
Expected harvest about 2.5 t/ha same
Harvest From 1 Sep 2027 to 10 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest 90–150 days after planting
Work it takes 56–114 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 3 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

No seasonal forecast reaches Halaba yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.

Planting after 13 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Halaba

Rain and temperature 96%
The soil 96%
The lie of the land 88%

For chickpea in Halaba, 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 2027 season in Halaba

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedMarch 2027 to November 2027
Rain in a typical yearAbout 898 mm
This season's rainRain close to usual — plan around about 898 mm falling roughly when it always does
This season's heatHotter 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 supportsenough rain for one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 70% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
70% enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 262 growing days · about 960 mm · March to November
24% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 271 growing days · about 1,000 mm · February to November
7% enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 195 growing days · about 780 mm · March to October

last updated 16 September 2026

Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.

What chickpea needs to grow here

Soil it likes well-drained loam, clay loam or clay soil
Soil sourness (pH) Happiest between pH 6.0 and 8.0
Spacing 30 cm between rows, 10 cm between plants
Feed it most with phosphorus

What it takes to grow chickpea in Halaba

Nitrogen (N)About 100 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 12 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 38 kg per hectare
In the shopsA basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. Skip the nitrogen top dressing; inoculated seed does that job.
Hand work56–114 days per hectare, by hand

These are the nutrients a chickpea 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

Pest/disease risk — manageableEarly-maturing — escapes late drought

Grow Chickpea with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Halaba 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.

Or check your field first

Where to sell Chickpea nearby

Chickpea 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 chickpea grow well in Halaba?

Halaba rates as favourable for chickpea.

When should I plant chickpea in Halaba?

Typically 3 Jun 2027 to 13 Jul 2027, typical season.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Halaba, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.

Also worth considering in Halaba

Keep going

Timing is one question. What the crop needs at every stage, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.