Divisi
When to plant Rice in Central
Sidama, Ethiopia
Rice is a grass that lives on water.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 2 Mar 2027 – 30 Jun 2027 opens in 22 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 3.3 t/ha | about 7.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 31 May 2027 to 27 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 | 80% | |
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 11 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Central is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 30 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Central
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For rice in Central, 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 season in Central
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 826 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 826 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.4 °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 28% of this area. |
| 28% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 260 growing days · about 830 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 26% | 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 1,100 mm · February to December |
| 23% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 319 growing days · about 1,350 mm · February to December |
| 18% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 313 growing days · about 1,240 mm · February to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 20% 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 Central
| Planting material | About 600,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 50 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 16 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 73 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.
Grow Rice with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Central 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 Central?
Central rates as favourable for rice.
When should I plant rice in Central?
Typically 2 Mar 2027 to 30 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Central, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
