Divisi
When to plant Fonio in Dogbo
Couffo, Benin
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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 25 Mar 2027 – 24 May 2027 opens in 25 weeks | 2 Mar 2026 – 17 Nov 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.5 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 24 May 2027 to 21 Sep 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 6 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Dogbo 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 24 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Dogbo
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For fonio in Dogbo, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2027 season in Dogbo
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2027 to November 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 880 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September and October 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 +0.6 °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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 92% of this area. |
| 92% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 260 growing days · about 890 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 8% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 257 growing days · about 900 mm · March to November |
last updated 30 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 Dogbo
| Nitrogen (N) | About 30 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 9 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 30 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 Dogbo 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.
Fonio 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 fonio grow well in Dogbo?
Dogbo rates as favourable for fonio.
When should I plant fonio in Dogbo?
Typically 25 Mar 2027 to 24 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Dogbo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
