Divisi
When to plant Groundnut in West Arsi
Oromia, Ethiopia
Groundnut (peanut) is a low, leafy legume that does something no other crop in your field does: it flowers above the ground, but then each fertilised flower sends a little stalk — a peg — down into the soil, and the nut grows and fills underground.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 14 Mar 2027 – 2 Jun 2027 opens in 23 weeks | 1 Jan 2026 – 27 Dec 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.5 t/ha | about 2.6 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 12 Jun 2027 to 30 Oct 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 71–126 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 80% | |
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 13 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for West Arsi is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 2 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in West Arsi
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For groundnut in West Arsi, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 2025 season in West Arsi
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2025 to October 2025 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 680 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 680 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.5 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 27% of this area. |
| 27% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 236 growing days · about 840 mm · March to October |
|---|---|
| 25% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 316 growing days · about 1,140 mm · February to December |
| 19% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 284 growing days · about 990 mm · February to November |
| 7% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 308 growing days · about 1,100 mm · February to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 35% of yield here.
What groundnut needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or sandy soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.9 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 45 cm between rows, 9 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus, potassium and calcium |
What it takes to grow groundnut in West Arsi
| Planting material | About 247,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 82 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 15 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 45 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 | 71–126 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a groundnut 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 Groundnut with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes West Arsi 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.
Groundnut 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 groundnut grow well in West Arsi?
West Arsi rates as favourable for groundnut.
When should I plant groundnut in West Arsi?
Typically 14 Mar 2027 to 2 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across West Arsi, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
