Divisi
When to plant Rice in Kasese
Western, Uganda
Known here as mchele · mpunga
Rice is a grass that lives on water.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 9 Aug 2026 – 8 Oct 2026 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 3.5 t/ha | about 4.1 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 7 Nov 2026 to 7 Mar 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 | 72% | |
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 18 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Kasese is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 8 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kasese
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For rice in Kasese, 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 Kasese
| When the rains are expected | January 2025 to January 2025 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,274 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,274 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.1 °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 27% of this area. |
| 27% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 335 growing days · about 1,000 mm · February to January |
|---|---|
| 20% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 259 growing days · about 760 mm · August to January |
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,330 mm · January to December |
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 278 growing days · about 810 mm · July to January |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 30% 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 Kasese
| Planting material | About 600,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 52 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 77 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 Kasese 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 Kasese?
Kasese rates as favourable for rice.
When should I plant rice in Kasese?
Typically 9 Aug 2026 to 8 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kasese, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
