Divisi
When to plant Teff in Mitwaba
Haut-Katanga, République démocratique du Congo
Known here as teff
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 | 21 Mar 2027 – 30 Mar 2027 opens in 24 weeks | 1 Jan 2026 – 31 Oct 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.7 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 20 May 2027 to 28 Jul 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 | 88% | |
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 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Mitwaba yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 30 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mitwaba
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For teff in Mitwaba, 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 2026/27 season in Mitwaba
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 960 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, October, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| 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 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 74% of this area. |
| 74% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 225 growing days · about 1,010 mm · October to May |
|---|---|
| 26% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 239 growing days · about 1,130 mm · October to May |
last updated 30 September 2026
Temperature 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 Mitwaba
| Planting material | About 3,000,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 51 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 17 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 42 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 Mitwaba 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 Mitwaba?
Mitwaba rates as favourable for teff.
When should I plant teff in Mitwaba?
Typically 21 Mar 2027 to 30 Mar 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mitwaba, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
