Divisi
When to plant Fonio in Hadjeret Ennous
Tipaza, Algeria
Fonio (Digitaria exilis) — also called acha, hungry rice, findi or fundi — is West Africa's ancient small grain and the fastest cereal in the world: early types give grain in about 70 to 85 days, some in as little as 6 to 8 weeks.
| Fit | Moderate |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 1 May 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 opens in 30 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 0.6 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 30 Jun 2027 to 17 Nov 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 60–120 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 82–175 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 1 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Hadjeret Ennous leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 20 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Hadjeret Ennous
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 30% |
For fonio in Hadjeret Ennous, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 30%. 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 Hadjeret Ennous
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 580 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, November and December look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.9 °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, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 80% of this area. |
| 80% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 209 growing days · about 600 mm · October to April |
|---|---|
| 20% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 210 growing days · about 600 mm · October to April |
last updated 18 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 65% of yield here.
What fonio needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 6.5 |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and phosphorus |
What it takes to grow fonio in Hadjeret Ennous
| Nitrogen (N) | About 12 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 4 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 12 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 | 82–175 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a fonio 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 Fonio with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Hadjeret Ennous 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.
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 fonio grow well in Hadjeret Ennous?
Hadjeret Ennous rates as moderate for fonio.
When should I plant fonio in Hadjeret Ennous?
Typically 1 May 2027 to 20 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Hadjeret Ennous, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
