Divisi
When to plant Rice in West Arsi
Oromia, Ethiopia
Rice is a grass that lives on water.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 24 Mar 2027 – 22 Jun 2027 opens in 25 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.9 t/ha | about 7.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 22 Jun 2027 to 19 Nov 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 69–107 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 60% | |
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 3 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for West Arsi is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 22 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in West Arsi
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For rice in West Arsi, 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 2025 season in West Arsi
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2025 to October 2025 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 680 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 680 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.5 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 27% of this area. |
| 27% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 236 growing days · about 840 mm · March to October |
|---|---|
| 25% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 316 growing days · about 1,140 mm · February to December |
| 19% | 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 990 mm · February to November |
| 7% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 308 growing days · about 1,100 mm · February to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 40% of yield here.
What rice needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | loam, clay loam or clay |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 20 cm between rows, 20 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and zinc |
What it takes to grow rice in West Arsi
| Planting material | About 600,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 44 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 14 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 64 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 | 69–107 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a rice 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 Rice with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes West Arsi 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.
Rice 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 rice grow well in West Arsi?
West Arsi rates as favourable for rice.
When should I plant rice in West Arsi?
Typically 24 Mar 2027 to 22 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across West Arsi, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
