Divisi
When to plant Rice in Southern
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 | 1 Jan 2026 – 30 Sep 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 3.6 t/ha | same |
| 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 | 77% | |
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 22 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Southern leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
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 Southern
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For rice in Southern, 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 Southern
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,455 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — February, October, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| 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 a long crop, or two in a year, 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 45% of this area. |
| 45% | 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 1,500 mm · February to December |
|---|---|
| 41% | 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 1,360 mm · February to December |
| 7% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 292 growing days · about 1,080 mm · February to December |
| 4% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 270 growing days · about 910 mm · March to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 25% 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 Southern
| Planting material | About 600,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 54 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 79 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 Southern 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 Southern?
Southern rates as favourable for rice.
When should I plant rice in Southern?
Typically 2 Mar 2027 to 30 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Southern, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
