When to plant Niger seed in Chibok
Borno, Nigeria
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.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 17 Nov 2026 – 26 Nov 2026 opens in 7 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 0.6 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 15 Feb 2027 to 25 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-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 17 Nov 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Chibok yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 26 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Chibok
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For niger seed in Chibok, 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 2027 season in Chibok
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | May 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 702 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 702 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.2 °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 short crop, and only if timed to it, 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 short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 152 growing days · about 710 mm · May to October |
|---|---|
| 3% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 152 growing days · about 700 mm · May to October |
last updated 16 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 45% 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 Chibok
| Nitrogen (N) | About 22 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 8 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 9 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 Chibok 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 firstThis 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 Chibok?
Chibok rates as favourable for niger seed.
When should I plant niger seed in Chibok?
Typically 17 Nov 2026 to 26 Nov 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Chibok, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.