Divisi
When to plant Sugarcane in Kanungu
Western, Uganda
Known here as muwa
Sugarcane is a tall, thick, sweet grass grown for the sugar it stores in its stalks.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant (establish) | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 68.2 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-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 1 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Kanungu is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 1 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kanungu
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For sugarcane in Kanungu, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 season in Kanungu
| When the rains are expected | January 2026 to January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 868 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 868 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 46% of this area. |
| 46% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 339 growing days · about 920 mm · July to June |
|---|---|
| 33% | 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 1,130 mm · January to December |
| 15% | 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 780 mm · July to January |
| 3% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 297 growing days · about 830 mm · July to June |
last updated 17 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 Kanungu
| Planting material | About 28,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 95 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 38 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 215 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 Kanungu 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 Kanungu?
Kanungu rates as favourable for sugarcane.
When should I plant sugarcane in Kanungu?
Typically 21 Jan 2026 to 1 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kanungu, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
