Divisi
When to plant Tobacco in West Shewa
Oromia, Ethiopia
Tobacco is a tall, broad-leaved plant in the same family as tomato and potato, grown not for food but for its leaves, which are dried and cured, then sold by weight and grade.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 6 Apr 2027 – 5 Jun 2027 opens in 27 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.7 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 5 Jul 2027 to 3 Oct 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–120 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 120–242 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 16 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for West Shewa leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 5 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in West Shewa
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For tobacco in West Shewa, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 West Shewa
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | April 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 908 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — October 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 +1.4 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 41% of this area. |
| 41% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 213 growing days · about 1,140 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 36% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 234 growing days · about 1,160 mm · March to October |
| 11% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 177 growing days · about 820 mm · April to October |
| 6% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 188 growing days · about 920 mm · April to October |
last updated 1 October 2026
What tobacco needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 120 cm between rows, 55 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and potassium |
What it takes to grow tobacco in West Shewa
| Planting material | About 16,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 100 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 30 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 162 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 | 120–242 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a tobacco 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 Tobacco with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes West Shewa 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.
Tobacco 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 tobacco grow well in West Shewa?
West Shewa rates as favourable for tobacco.
When should I plant tobacco in West Shewa?
Typically 6 Apr 2027 to 5 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across West Shewa, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
