Know the best planting, growing, and harvesting times for major crops in your African climate zone. Select your region to get a customized 12-month planting guide.
Successful farming in Africa depends critically on planting at the right time. With climate zones ranging from humid tropical forests to semi-arid savannas, and rainfall patterns varying from unimodal (one rainy season) to bimodal (two rainy seasons), there's no one-size-fits-all planting calendar. This tool provides region-specific guidance for 15+ major African crops, helping farmers optimize planting dates for maximum yield.
In West Africa's Guinea Savanna, the single rainy season typically runs from May to October, with planting beginning in April-May as the first rains arrive. Maize, sorghum, millet, and groundnuts are planted early in the season, while rice planting can extend into July. The Forest zone with its bimodal rainfall allows for two planting seasons — the major season (March-July) and minor season (August-November), enabling farmers to grow two maize crops per year.
East African Highlands (Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda) experience a long rain season (March-May) and short rain season (October-December). The highland altitude provides cooler temperatures ideal for wheat, barley, potatoes, and coffee alongside traditional crops. Southern Africa's planting season runs from October to December (the onset of summer rains), with harvesting from March to June. This calendar aligns with the November-March wet season that drives agriculture across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and South Africa.
In southern Nigeria (Forest zone): early planting March-April, late planting July-August. In the Guinea Savanna (middle belt): May-June. In the Sudan Savanna (north): June-July with the onset of rains. Early planting generally gives better yields as crops benefit from the full rainy season.
Yes, with irrigation. Dry season farming (fadama in Nigeria) is increasingly important. Vegetables (tomato, pepper, onion), rice, and wheat can be grown during the dry season with adequate water supply. Many farmers supplement rainfed crops with irrigated dry-season vegetables for additional income.