Divisi
When to plant Sugarcane in Seme-Kpodji
Oueme, Benin
Sugarcane is a tall, thick, sweet grass grown for the sugar it stores in its stalks.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 26 Feb 2027 – 18 Mar 2027 opens in 21 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 50.9 t/ha | about 120.0 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 360–540 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. | |
| Work it takes | 150–315 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 56% | |
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 26 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Seme-Kpodji leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 18 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Seme-Kpodji
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For sugarcane in Seme-Kpodji, 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 2027 season in Seme-Kpodji
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2027 to November 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,115 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September and October look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| What that supports | enough rain for one full main crop, 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 60% of this area. |
| 60% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 260 growing days · about 1,160 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 40% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 261 growing days · about 1,190 mm · March to November |
last updated 30 September 2026
What sugarcane needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | loam or clay loam |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.5 |
| Rain it needs | About 1,500–2,000 mm across the season |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and potassium |
What it takes to grow sugarcane in Seme-Kpodji
| Planting material | About 28,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 71 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 28 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 160 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 | 150–315 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a sugarcane 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 Sugarcane with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Seme-Kpodji 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.
Sugarcane 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 sugarcane grow well in Seme-Kpodji?
Seme-Kpodji rates as favourable for sugarcane.
When should I plant sugarcane in Seme-Kpodji?
Typically 26 Feb 2027 to 18 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Seme-Kpodji, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
