Somalia Crop Calendar
What to plant and harvest across 3 agro-ecological zones in Somalia — 3 crops with sowing windows, growing periods and local notes.
Sow this July
0 cropsAll crops in Somalia
Agro-ecological zones
dry arid Bay and Bakool
Sorghum-cropped Bay and Bakool regions. Semi-arid rain-fed inland plateau (> 300 m asl) "Gu" main rainy season (March-June), "Xagga" coastal showers (July-Sept), "Deyr" short rains (Oct/Nov), "Jilaal" long dry season (Dec-Mar) Mean annual temp is 23-32 deg C. Soils are clay/loam soils. 300-600 mm annual rainfall.
Practices: Rainfed sorghum, maize and cowpeas
plains Coastal central and southern Somalia
Coastal central and southern Somalia. Semi-arid rain-fed lowland coastal plain (< 200 m asl) "Gu", main rainy season (March-June), "Xagga" coastal showers - extend to 100 km inland (July -Sept), "Deyr", short rains (Oct/Nov), "Jilaal" long dry season (Dec-Mar) Mean annual temp (23-32 deg C). Clay and clay/loam soils dominate in cultivated areas. 200-600 mm annual rainfall.
Practices: Rain-fed sorghum, maize, cowpea, sesame, and water melon
floodplain Shabelle and Juba Valleys
Shabelle and Juba riverine Valleys. Semi-arid lowland (< 200 m asl) riverine flood plain irrigated and rain fed. "Gu" main rainy season (March-June), "Xagga" coastal showers (July-Sept), "Deyr" short rains (Oct/Nov), "Jilaal" long dry season (Dec-Mar). Mean annual temp (23-30 deg C) Soils are mainly heavy clay and clay/loam alluvial soils. 400-700 mm annual rainfall.
Practices: Rainfed and irrigated maize, sorghum, sesame, cowpeas, rice, variety of vegetables, sweet potato, fruits and cash crops