Divisi
When to plant Rice in Amuru
Northern, Uganda
Known here as mchele · mpunga
Rice is a grass that lives on water.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 8 Apr 2027 – 6 Aug 2027 opens in 27 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 4.4 t/ha | about 7.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 7 Jul 2027 to 3 Jan 2028, 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 | 88% | |
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 2 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Amuru is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 6 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Amuru
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For rice in Amuru, 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 season in Amuru
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2026 to December 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,099 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,099 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 a long crop, or two in a year, 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 54% of this area. |
| 54% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 279 growing days · about 1,100 mm · March to December |
|---|---|
| 45% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 252 growing days · about 980 mm · March to November |
last updated 17 September 2026
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 Amuru
| Planting material | About 600,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 66 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 22 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 97 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 Amuru 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 Amuru?
Amuru rates as favourable for rice.
When should I plant rice in Amuru?
Typically 8 Apr 2027 to 6 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Amuru, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
