Divisi
When to plant Tobacco in United Republic of Tanzania
Known here as tumbaku
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 | 28 Oct 2026 – 26 Feb 2027 opens in 4 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.8 t/ha | about 3.3 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 26 Jan 2027 to 26 Jun 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 2 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for United Republic of Tanzania 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 26 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in United Republic of Tanzania
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For tobacco in United Republic of Tanzania, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 2026/27 season in United Republic of Tanzania
| 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 778 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 425 mm in the driest of 170 districts to about 2,004 mm in the wettest |
| Rainy seasons, district by district | Of 170 districts: one rainy season in 149 and two rainy seasons in 2 |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, 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 +0.9 °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 | 7 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 43% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 199 growing days · about 940 mm · November to May |
|---|---|
| 19% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 214 growing days · about 750 mm · October to May |
| 12% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 153 growing days · about 530 mm · November to April |
| 6% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 208 growing days · about 960 mm · October to May |
| 4% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 212 growing days · about 670 mm · October to May |
| 4% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 167 growing days · about 560 mm · November to April |
| 3% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 277 growing days · about 910 mm · September to June |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 170 areas within it
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
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 United Republic of Tanzania
| Planting material | About 16,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 104 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 31 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 168 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 United Republic of Tanzania 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 United Republic of Tanzania?
United Republic of Tanzania rates as favourable for tobacco.
When should I plant tobacco in United Republic of Tanzania?
Typically 28 Oct 2026 to 26 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across United Republic of Tanzania, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
