Divisi
When to plant Fonio in Boffa
Boke, Guinée
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 May 2027 – 2 Sep 2027 opens in 34 weeks | 10 Jun 2027 – 29 Aug 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.3 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 24 Jul 2027 to 31 Dec 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 25 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Boffa is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 2 Sep 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Boffa
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For fonio in Boffa, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 season in Boffa
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | May 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 2,988 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 2,988 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.8 °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 97% of this area. |
| 97% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 198 growing days · about 3,100 mm · May to November |
|---|---|
| 3% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 193 growing days · about 3,330 mm · May to November |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 20% 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 Boffa
| Nitrogen (N) | About 26 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 8 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 26 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 Boffa 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 Boffa?
Boffa rates as favourable for fonio.
When should I plant fonio in Boffa?
Typically 25 May 2027 to 2 Sep 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Boffa, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
