Divisi
When to plant Chickpea in Kagera
United Republic of Tanzania
Known here as dengu
Chickpea is a knee-high, branching legume grown for its round, protein-rich seeds — the pea behind roasted snacks, stews and hummus.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 25 Sep 2026 – 6 Oct 2026 open now | 1 Jan 2026 – 30 Sep 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.2 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 24 Dec 2026 to 5 Mar 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 25 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Kagera yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 6 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kagera
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For chickpea in Kagera, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 Kagera
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | September 2026 to June 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 796 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 667 mm in the driest of 8 districts to about 1,687 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, 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 +1.2 °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 | 5 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 38% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 232 growing days · about 760 mm · September to May |
|---|---|
| 30% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 282 growing days · about 800 mm · September to June |
| 18% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 312 growing days · about 1,200 mm · August to June |
| 6% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 259 growing days · about 750 mm · September to June |
| 5% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 281 growing days · about 770 mm · September to June |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 8 areas within it
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 Kagera
| Nitrogen (N) | About 88 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 11 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. Skip the nitrogen top dressing; inoculated seed does that job. |
| Hand work | 56–114 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
Grow Chickpea with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Kagera 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.
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 Kagera?
Kagera rates as favourable for chickpea.
When should I plant chickpea in Kagera?
Typically 25 Sep 2026 to 6 Oct 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kagera, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
