Divisi
When to plant Tomato in Zangba
Basse-Kotto, République centrafricaine
Tomato is the number-one cash vegetable across sub-Saharan Africa — and one of the most demanding.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 24 Mar 2027 – 9 Sep 2027 opens in 25 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 35.1 t/ha | about 61.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 22 Jun 2027 to 6 Feb 2028, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 81–160 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 6 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Zangba is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 9 Sep 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Zangba
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For tomato in Zangba, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 season in Zangba
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,312 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,312 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.3 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 56% of this area. |
| 56% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 302 growing days · about 1,320 mm · February to December |
|---|---|
| 30% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 299 growing days · about 1,300 mm · March to December |
| 8% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 267 growing days · about 1,290 mm · March to November |
| 5% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 304 growing days · about 1,320 mm · February to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What tomato needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.8 |
| Spacing | 80 cm between rows, 40 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium, nitrogen, calcium and boron |
What it takes to grow tomato in Zangba
| Planting material | About 33,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 91 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 25 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 130 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 | 81–160 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a tomato 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 Tomato with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Zangba 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.
Tomato 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 tomato grow well in Zangba?
Zangba rates as favourable for tomato.
When should I plant tomato in Zangba?
Typically 24 Mar 2027 to 9 Sep 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Zangba, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
