Divisi
When to plant Cocoa in Mbaïki
Lobaye, République centrafricaine
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is a small evergreen tree of the hot, wet tropics.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 17 Mar 2027 – 27 Jul 2027 opens in 24 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 1.2–1.3 t/ha | about 1.8 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-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 19 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Mbaïki is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 27 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mbaïki
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For cocoa in Mbaïki, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 season in Mbaïki
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,338 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,338 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| 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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 70% of this area. |
| 70% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 306 growing days · about 1,380 mm · February to December |
|---|---|
| 15% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 297 growing days · about 1,300 mm · March to December |
| 15% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 265 growing days · about 1,300 mm · March to November |
last updated 16 September 2026
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 Mbaïki
| Planting material | About 1,100 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 52 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 98 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 Mbaïki 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 Mbaïki?
Mbaïki rates as favourable for cocoa.
When should I plant cocoa in Mbaïki?
Typically 17 Mar 2027 to 27 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mbaïki, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
