Divisi
When to plant Tomato in Mpanda Urban
These figures also cover Kaputa, Mwansabombwe, Nsama and Urambo, where the engine returns the same answer.
Katavi, United Republic of Tanzania
Known here as nyanya
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 | 18 Oct 2026 – 5 Feb 2027 opens in 2 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 35.1 t/ha | about 61.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 16 Jan 2027 to 5 Jul 2027, 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 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Mpanda Urban 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 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mpanda Urban
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For tomato in Mpanda Urban, 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 2026/27 season in Mpanda Urban
| 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 917 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 +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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 90% of this area. |
| 90% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 206 growing days · about 890 mm · October to May |
|---|---|
| 10% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 205 growing days · about 900 mm · October to May |
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 Mpanda Urban
| 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 Mpanda Urban 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 Mpanda Urban?
Mpanda Urban rates as favourable for tomato.
When should I plant tomato in Mpanda Urban?
Typically 18 Oct 2026 to 5 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mpanda Urban, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
