Divisi
When to plant Teff in Xai-Xai
Gaza, Moçambique
Known here as tef
Teff (Eragrostis tef) is a fine, tufted grass that carries the smallest grain of any cereal in the world — seed almost as fine as dust.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 1 May 2027 – 29 May 2027 opens in 30 weeks | 21 May 2027 – 30 Jun 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.0 t/ha | about 3.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 30 Jun 2027 to 26 Sep 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 60–120 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 88–174 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 73% | |
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 15 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Xai-Xai 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 29 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Xai-Xai
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For teff in Xai-Xai, the soil is the tightest of the three at 88%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2026/27 season in Xai-Xai
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to August 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 949 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, November and December 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. |
| 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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 86% of this area. |
| 86% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 290 growing days · about 960 mm · October to August |
|---|---|
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 288 growing days · about 940 mm · October to August |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 35% of yield here.
What teff needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | sandy loam, loam, clay loam or clay |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.2 and 5.8 |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus, nitrogen, zinc, sulphur and boron |
What it takes to grow teff in Xai-Xai
| Planting material | About 3,000,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 60 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 20 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 50 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 | 88–174 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a teff 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 Teff with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Xai-Xai 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.
Teff 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 teff grow well in Xai-Xai?
Xai-Xai rates as favourable for teff.
When should I plant teff in Xai-Xai?
Typically 1 May 2027 to 29 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Xai-Xai, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
