Divisi
When to plant Niger seed in North Sinai
Egypt
Niger seed — noug — is a tall, upright plant with bright yellow, daisy-like flowers, grown for the small black, oily seeds that are pressed into sweet, light noug cooking oil.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 23 Oct 2026 – 22 Nov 2026 opens in 3 weeks | 8 Oct 2026 – 2 Mar 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 0.6–0.8 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 21 Jan 2027 to 21 Apr 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 64–134 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 76% | |
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 2 Nov 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for North Sinai is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 22 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in North Sinai
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For niger seed in North Sinai, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 North Sinai
| Rain in a typical year | About 158 mm in a typical farming district |
|---|---|
| Across its districts | From about 51 mm in the driest of 11 districts to about 158 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 158 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| 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 | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 19 September 2026 · from all 11 areas within it
Limited water holds back about 25% of yield here.
What niger seed needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | clay, clay loam or loam |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0 |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur |
What it takes to grow niger seed in North Sinai
| Nitrogen (N) | About 26 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 10 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 10 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 | 64–134 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a niger seed 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 Niger seed with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes North Sinai 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.
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 niger seed grow well in North Sinai?
North Sinai rates as favourable for niger seed.
When should I plant niger seed in North Sinai?
Typically 23 Oct 2026 to 22 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across North Sinai, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
