When to plant Teff in Burco
Togdheer, Somalia
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.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 17 Nov 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 opens in 7 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 2.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 16 Jan 2027 to 1 May 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-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.
No seasonal forecast reaches Burco yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
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 Burco
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For teff in Burco, 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 season in Burco
| Rain in a typical year | About 208 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — make sure water can drain off the field. |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 16 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 30% 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 Burco
| Planting material | About 3,000,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 75 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 25 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 62 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 Burco 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.
Or check your field firstThis 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 Burco?
Burco rates as favourable for teff.
When should I plant teff in Burco?
Typically 17 Nov 2026 to 1 Jan 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Burco, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.