Divisi
When to plant Robusta coffee in Mafia
Pwani, United Republic of Tanzania
Known here as kahawa
Robusta (Coffea canephora) is a hardy evergreen coffee tree of the warm lowlands — bigger, tougher and higher-yielding than highland Arabica, and far better at shrugging off leaf rust.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 6 Oct 2026 – 26 Oct 2026 opens in 1 week | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.7 t/ha | about 2.8 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 270–330 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. | |
| Work it takes | 122–255 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 94% | |
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 26 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Mafia 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 26 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mafia
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For robusta coffee in Mafia, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2026/27 season in Mafia
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to July 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,534 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — February, March 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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 77% of this area. |
| 77% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 277 growing days · about 1,430 mm · October to July |
|---|---|
| 15% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 279 growing days · about 1,430 mm · October to July |
| 5% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 255 growing days · about 1,340 mm · October to July |
| 3% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 310 growing days · about 1,690 mm · October to August |
last updated 1 October 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What robusta coffee needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | sandy loam, loam or clay loam |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 275 cm between rows, 275 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium |
What it takes to grow robusta coffee in Mafia
| Planting material | About 1,350 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 60 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 12 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 66 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 | 122–255 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a robusta coffee 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 Robusta coffee with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Mafia 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.
Robusta coffee 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 robusta coffee grow well in Mafia?
Mafia rates as favourable for robusta coffee.
When should I plant robusta coffee in Mafia?
Typically 6 Oct 2026 to 26 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mafia, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
