Divisi
When to plant Fonio in SOUTH EAST
These figures also cover SOUTH EAST, where the engine returns the same answer.
Botswana
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 | 18 Nov 2026 – 7 Jan 2027 opens in 7 weeks | 29 Aug 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 0.6 t/ha | about 1.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 17 Jan 2027 to 7 May 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 meets its needs | 51% | |
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 8 Dec 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches SOUTH EAST yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 7 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in SOUTH EAST
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For fonio in SOUTH EAST, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 SOUTH EAST
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | December 2026 to March 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 473 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February 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 +2.3 °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 short crop, and only if timed to it, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 82% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 430 mm |
|---|---|
| 16% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 88 growing days · about 480 mm · December to March |
last updated 18 September 2026 · from all 1 areas within it
Limited water holds back about 60% 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 SOUTH EAST
| 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 SOUTH EAST 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 SOUTH EAST?
SOUTH EAST rates as favourable for fonio.
When should I plant fonio in SOUTH EAST?
Typically 18 Nov 2026 to 7 Jan 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across SOUTH EAST, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
