Divisi
When to plant Cowpea in Rwanda
Cowpea (nyemba, kunde, niébé, black-eyed pea) is a tough, drought-beating legume for warm country.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 10 Feb 2027 – 8 Mar 2027 opens in 19 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.7 t/ha | about 2.3 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 11 Apr 2027 to 6 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 60–120 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 50–105 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 23 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Rwanda 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 8 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Rwanda
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For cowpea in Rwanda, 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 Rwanda
| 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 723 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 681 mm in the driest of 30 districts to about 1,379 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 one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 6 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 a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 323 growing days · about 1,060 mm · August to July |
|---|---|
| 25% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 278 growing days · about 730 mm · September to June |
| 11% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 280 growing days · about 790 mm · September to June |
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 265 growing days · about 740 mm · September to June |
| 8% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,360 mm · January to December |
| 3% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 324 growing days · about 1,080 mm · August to July |
last updated 18 September 2026 · from all 30 areas within it
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What cowpea needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand, sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 75 cm between rows, 25 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus and potassium |
What it takes to grow cowpea in Rwanda
| Planting material | About 90,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 102 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 20 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 37 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 | 50–105 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a cowpea 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 Cowpea with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Rwanda 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.
Cowpea 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 cowpea grow well in Rwanda?
Rwanda rates as favourable for cowpea.
When should I plant cowpea in Rwanda?
Typically 10 Feb 2027 to 8 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Rwanda, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
