Divisi
When to plant Oil palm in Elgeyo-Marakwet
Kenya
Known here as mchikichi
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a single-stemmed palm from the forests of West and Central Africa, and the highest-yielding oil crop in the world.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant (establish) | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 20.8 t/ha |
| Work it takes | 77–175 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 1 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Elgeyo-Marakwet is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 1 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Elgeyo-Marakwet
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For oil palm in Elgeyo-Marakwet, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 Elgeyo-Marakwet
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to January 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,173 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 800 mm in the driest of 4 districts to about 1,351 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,173 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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 6 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 47% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 348 growing days · about 1,260 mm · February to January |
|---|---|
| 17% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 331 growing days · about 1,180 mm · February to January |
| 10% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 263 growing days · about 820 mm · March to December |
| 8% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 166 growing days · about 670 mm · March to September |
| 6% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 274 growing days · about 950 mm · March to December |
| 3% | 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 940 mm · March to December |
last updated 1 October 2026 · from all 4 areas within it
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What oil palm needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 4.5 and 6.0 |
| Spacing | 900 cm between rows, 900 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium, nitrogen, magnesium and boron |
What it takes to grow oil palm in Elgeyo-Marakwet
| Planting material | About 143 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 156 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 47 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 218 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 | 77–175 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a oil palm 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 Oil palm with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Elgeyo-Marakwet 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.
Oil palm 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 oil palm grow well in Elgeyo-Marakwet?
Elgeyo-Marakwet rates as favourable for oil palm.
When should I plant oil palm in Elgeyo-Marakwet?
Typically 21 Jan 2026 to 1 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Elgeyo-Marakwet, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
