Divisi
When to plant Irish potato in Cabo Verde
The Irish potato (mbatatisi, ikirayi, viazi mviringo) is a cool-weather crop grown for the tubers that swell underground — it is not a grain, and it is not the same plant as sweet potato.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 27 Jul 2027 – 26 Aug 2027 opens in 43 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 18.1 t/ha | about 16.6 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 5 Oct 2027 to 3 Jan 2028, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 70–130 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 110–185 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 90% | |
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 16 Aug 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Cabo Verde is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 26 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Cabo Verde
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For irish potato in Cabo Verde, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 2027 season in Cabo Verde
| When the rains are expected | August 2027 to October 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 290 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 82 mm in the driest of 32 districts to about 542 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 290 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 5 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 35% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 190 mm · August to October |
|---|---|
| 35% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 101 growing days · about 350 mm · July to November |
| 16% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 180 mm · August to October |
| 12% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 97 growing days · about 360 mm · July to November |
| 3% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 149 growing days · about 610 mm · July to November |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 32 areas within it
Sloping ground holds back about 45% of yield here.
What irish potato needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained loam or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 75 cm between rows, 28 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium and magnesium |
What it takes to grow irish potato in Cabo Verde
| Planting material | About 47,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 60 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 105 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 | 110–185 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a irish potato 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 Irish potato with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Cabo Verde 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.
Irish potato 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 irish potato grow well in Cabo Verde?
Cabo Verde rates as favourable for irish potato.
When should I plant irish potato in Cabo Verde?
Typically 27 Jul 2027 to 26 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Cabo Verde, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
