Divisi
When to plant Pineapple in Mahajanga I
Boeny, Madagascar
Pineapple is a tough, low-growing plant — a rosette (a circle of stiff, spiny leaves growing out from one central point) about waist-high, carrying one sweet fruit in its heart.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 13 Oct 2026 – 2 Nov 2026 opens in 2 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 47.5–50.3 t/ha | about 70.0 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 450–730 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. | |
| Work it takes | 158–335 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 84% | |
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 13 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Mahajanga I 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 2 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mahajanga I
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For pineapple in Mahajanga I, 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 Mahajanga I
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,637 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February 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 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 full main crop, 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 88% of this area. |
| 88% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 207 growing days · about 1,670 mm · October to May |
|---|---|
| 12% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 212 growing days · about 1,690 mm · October to May |
last updated 17 September 2026
What pineapple needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 4.5 and 5.5 |
| Rain it needs | About 1,000–1,500 mm across the season |
| Feed it most with | potassium, nitrogen and zinc |
What it takes to grow pineapple in Mahajanga I
| Planting material | About 55,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 166 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 36 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 522 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 | 158–335 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a pineapple 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 Pineapple with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Mahajanga I 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.
Pineapple 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 pineapple grow well in Mahajanga I?
Mahajanga I rates as favourable for pineapple.
When should I plant pineapple in Mahajanga I?
Typically 13 Oct 2026 to 2 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mahajanga I, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
