Divisi
When to plant Sesame in Tunisie
Sesame — also called simsim or benniseed — is a tough, upright oilseed that grows from knee to shoulder height and gives a seed that is about half oil.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 1 May 2027 – 21 May 2027 opens in 30 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 1.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 30 Jul 2027 to 28 Sep 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–130 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 65–129 days per hectare, by hand |
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 21 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Tunisie is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 21 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Tunisie
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For sesame in Tunisie, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 88%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2026/27 season in Tunisie
| When the rains are expected | September 2026 to April 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 451 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 67 mm in the driest of 24 districts to about 1,035 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 451 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 one full main crop, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 77% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 70 mm |
|---|---|
| 13% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 210 growing days · about 500 mm · September to May |
| 6% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 166 growing days · about 420 mm · October to April |
last updated 18 September 2026 · from all 24 areas within it
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What sesame needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.5 |
| Rain it needs | About 300–600 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 37 cm between rows, 7 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus and boron |
What it takes to grow sesame in Tunisie
| Planting material | About 265,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 82 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 22 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 75 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 | 65–129 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a sesame 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 Sesame with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Tunisie 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.
Sesame 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 sesame grow well in Tunisie?
Tunisie rates as favourable for sesame.
When should I plant sesame in Tunisie?
Typically 1 May 2027 to 21 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Tunisie, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
