Divisi
When to plant Cocoa in Budalangi
Busia, Kenya
Known here as kakao
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is a small evergreen tree of the hot, wet tropics.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 16 Sep 2026 – 3 Feb 2027 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 0.7 t/ha | about 1.9 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 150–180 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. | |
| Work it takes | 128–255 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 72% | |
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 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Budalangi 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 3 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Budalangi
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For cocoa in Budalangi, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 Budalangi
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | August 2026 to January 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 870 mm |
| 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 +1.0 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 77% of this area. |
| 77% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 215 growing days · about 840 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 8% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 308 growing days · about 1,000 mm · February to January |
| 8% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 232 growing days · about 870 mm · August to January |
| 4% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 314 growing days · about 1,010 mm · February to January |
last updated 30 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 55% of yield here.
What cocoa needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 300 cm between rows, 300 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium |
What it takes to grow cocoa in Budalangi
| Planting material | About 1,100 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 28 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 10 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 52 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 | 128–255 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a cocoa 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 Cocoa with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Budalangi 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.
Cocoa 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 cocoa grow well in Budalangi?
Budalangi rates as favourable for cocoa.
When should I plant cocoa in Budalangi?
Typically 16 Sep 2026 to 3 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Budalangi, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
