When to plant Niger seed in Inharrime

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Niger seed

Inhambane, Moçambique

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.

Niger seed in Inharrime, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure Rain-fed With irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 21 Mar 2027 – 8 May 2027 opens in 24 weeks 11 Apr 2027 – 30 Jun 2027
Expected harvest about 0.9 t/ha same
Harvest From 19 Jun 2027 to 5 Oct 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 94%

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 21 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's rainfall outlook for Inharrime leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.

Planting after 8 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Inharrime

Rain and temperature 96%
The soil 96%
The lie of the land 76%

For niger seed in Inharrime, 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 2026/27 season in Inharrime

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedOctober 2026 to August 2027
Rain in a typical yearAbout 894 mm
This season's rainLeaning dry — January, February, November 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 heatHotter than usual — about +1.1 °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 supportsenough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 84% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
84% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 280 growing days · about 890 mm · October to August
12% enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 268 growing days · about 780 mm · November to July
4% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 286 growing days · about 960 mm · October to August

last updated 17 September 2026

Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 Inharrime

Nitrogen (N)About 33 kg per hectare
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 13 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 14 kg per hectare
In the shopsA 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 work64–134 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

Pest/disease risk — manageableEarly-maturing — escapes late drought

Grow Niger seed with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Inharrime 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.

Or check your field first

Niger seed 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 niger seed grow well in Inharrime?

Inharrime rates as favourable for niger seed.

When should I plant niger seed in Inharrime?

Typically 21 Mar 2027 to 8 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Inharrime, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.

Also worth considering in Inharrime

Keep going

Timing is one question. What the crop needs at every stage, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.