Seasonality
East African Pulse Crop Calendar
Planting, harvest, peak availability and export windows for every commodity and origin covered on this site. Windows are indicative: they describe the normal pattern, not a forecast for a particular season.
- Commodities
- 12 calendars
- Origins
- 9 covered
- Phases
- Planting · Harvest · Peak · Export
Two things drive pulse timing in East Africa: rainfall pattern and crop duration. Most of the region’s volume comes from unimodal-rainfall zones with one planting and one harvest, producing a well-defined annual window. Bimodal zones grow two crops a year, which spreads availability and shortens the gap between old and new crop. Layered on top of that, a long-duration pigeon pea variety occupies the ground for most of a year while a short-duration mung bean reaches market within a few months of planting.
The practical value of a calendar is planning rather than commitment. It tells a buyer when to open a conversation about new crop, when the widest choice of specification is likely to exist, and when an offer is probably being made from carry-over stock. It does not tell them what is available today — for that, send an enquiry.
Seasonal position — September
Derived from the published crop calendar for each commodity, across all origins covered.
- Pigeon PeasPeak availability
Widest choice of quality and specification across origins.
- Mung Beans (Green Gram)Available
Within the normal export window from at least one origin.
- CowpeasAvailable
Within the normal export window from at least one origin.
- ChickpeasAvailable
Within the normal export window from at least one origin.
- Red Kidney BeansHarvesting
New crop is coming to market at one or more origins.
- Light Speckled Kidney BeansHarvesting
New crop is coming to market at one or more origins.
A seasonal indication calculated from published harvest and export windows. It is not a live stock position, and it does not confirm that a given specification, size band or quantity is available today. For an actual position, send your product, specification, quantity and shipment window. Request a quote.
Pigeon Peas: Peak availability. Mung Beans (Green Gram): Available. Cowpeas: Available. Chickpeas: Available. Red Kidney Beans: Harvesting. Light Speckled Kidney Beans: Harvesting.
By commodity
Crop calendars
Pigeon Peas crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting December to February. Harvest June to September. Peak availability July to September. Export window July to December. Long-duration varieties in the northern belt are planted with the main rains and harvested from mid-year. Short-duration material can come earlier.
- Malawi: Planting November to December. Harvest June to August. Peak availability July to August. Export window July to November. Single unimodal season, so the window is narrower than in bimodal origins.
- Mozambique: Planting November to January. Harvest June to September. Peak availability July to September. Export window July to November.
- Kenya: Planting March to April and October to November. Harvest January to March and July to August. Peak availability February to March. Export window February to April and August to September. Bimodal rainfall gives two harvests; domestic demand takes a large share of the crop.
- Uganda: Planting March to April and August to September. Harvest July to August and December to January. Peak availability July to August. Export window January to February and August to October.
- Tanzania: Long-duration varieties in the northern belt are planted with the main rains and harvested from mid-year. Short-duration material can come earlier.
- Malawi: Single unimodal season, so the window is narrower than in bimodal origins.
- Kenya: Bimodal rainfall gives two harvests; domestic demand takes a large share of the crop.
Mung Beans (Green Gram) crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting March to April and November to December. Harvest February to April and July to August. Peak availability March to April. Export window March to May and August to October. Short-duration crop, so it comes to market quickly after the rains. The central regions supply the main window.
- Kenya: Planting March to April and October to November. Harvest January to February and July to August. Peak availability January to February. Export window February to April and August to September. Green gram from the eastern counties; export availability depends on the domestic price.
- Ethiopia: Planting June to July. Harvest October to December. Peak availability November to December. Export window December to March.
- Uganda: Planting March to April and August to September. Harvest June to July and December to January. Peak availability June to July. Export window January to February and July to August.
- Tanzania: Short-duration crop, so it comes to market quickly after the rains. The central regions supply the main window.
- Kenya: Green gram from the eastern counties; export availability depends on the domestic price.
Cowpeas crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting December to January. Harvest May to August. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October. Grown widely in the central and southern semi-arid districts, in white, red and black-eyed types.
- Malawi: Planting November to December. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to September.
- Mozambique: Planting November to December. Harvest May to August. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October.
- Uganda: Planting March to April and August to September. Harvest June to July and December to January. Peak availability June to July. Export window January to February and July to August.
- Kenya: Planting March to April and October to November. Harvest January to February and July to August. Peak availability January to February. Export window February to March and August to September.
- Zambia: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October.
- Tanzania: Grown widely in the central and southern semi-arid districts, in white, red and black-eyed types.
Chickpeas crop calendar by origin
- Ethiopia: Planting August to September. Harvest December to February. Peak availability January to February. Export window January to May. Largely grown on residual moisture after the main rains. The principal East African chickpea window.
- Tanzania: Planting February to March. Harvest June to August. Peak availability July to August. Export window July to October. Volumes are modest relative to Ethiopia and concentrated in the northern highland districts.
- Ethiopia: Largely grown on residual moisture after the main rains. The principal East African chickpea window.
- Tanzania: Volumes are modest relative to Ethiopia and concentrated in the northern highland districts.
Red Kidney Beans crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October. Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
- Uganda: Planting March to April and August to September. Harvest June to July and December to January. Peak availability June to July. Export window January to February and July to August.
- Rwanda: Planting February to March and September to October. Harvest January to February and June to July. Peak availability January to February. Export window February to March and July to August.
- Burundi: Planting February to March and September to October. Harvest January to February and June to July. Peak availability January to February. Export window February to March and July to August.
- Zambia: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October.
- Ethiopia: Planting June to July. Harvest November to January. Peak availability December to January. Export window December to April.
- Kenya: Planting March to April and October to November. Harvest February to March and August to September. Peak availability February to March. Export window March to April and September to October.
- Malawi: Planting November to December. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to September.
- Mozambique: Planting November to December. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to September.
- Tanzania: Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
Light Speckled Kidney Beans crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October. Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
- Uganda: Planting March to April and August to September. Harvest June to July and December to January. Peak availability June to July. Export window January to February and July to August.
- Rwanda: Planting February to March and September to October. Harvest January to February and June to July. Peak availability January to February. Export window February to March and July to August.
- Burundi: Planting February to March and September to October. Harvest January to February and June to July. Peak availability January to February. Export window February to March and July to August.
- Zambia: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October.
- Kenya: Planting March to April and October to November. Harvest February to March and August to September. Peak availability February to March. Export window March to April and September to October.
- Tanzania: Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
Dark Red Kidney Beans crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October. Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
- Ethiopia: Planting June to July. Harvest November to January. Peak availability December to January. Export window December to April.
- Tanzania: Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
White Kidney Beans crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October. Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
- Ethiopia: Planting June to July. Harvest November to January. Peak availability December to January. Export window December to April.
- Tanzania: Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
Navy Beans crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October. Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
- Ethiopia: Planting June to July. Harvest November to January. Peak availability December to January. Export window December to April.
- Tanzania: Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
Small White Beans crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October. Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
- Uganda: Planting March to April and August to September. Harvest June to July and December to January. Peak availability June to July. Export window January to February and July to August.
- Rwanda: Planting February to March and September to October. Harvest January to February and June to July. Peak availability January to February. Export window February to March and July to August.
- Burundi: Planting February to March and September to October. Harvest January to February and June to July. Peak availability January to February. Export window February to March and July to August.
- Zambia: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October.
- Ethiopia: Planting June to July. Harvest November to January. Peak availability December to January. Export window December to April.
- Malawi: Planting November to December. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to September.
- Mozambique: Planting November to December. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to September.
- Tanzania: Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
Black Beans crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October. Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
- Ethiopia: Planting June to July. Harvest November to January. Peak availability December to January. Export window December to April.
- Tanzania: Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
Yellow Beans crop calendar by origin
- Tanzania: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October. Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
- Uganda: Planting March to April and August to September. Harvest June to July and December to January. Peak availability June to July. Export window January to February and July to August.
- Rwanda: Planting February to March and September to October. Harvest January to February and June to July. Peak availability January to February. Export window February to March and July to August.
- Zambia: Planting December to January. Harvest May to July. Peak availability June to July. Export window June to October.
- Tanzania: Southern Highlands main crop. Bimodal districts in the north add a second, smaller window early in the year.
Crop timing may vary by region, rainfall patterns and growing season. Windows shown are indicative and should be confirmed against current-season availability before contracting.
Questions about seasonality
How accurate are these crop calendars?
They describe the normal commercial pattern for each origin, not a forecast for a specific season. Rainfall onset, variety duration, altitude and the difference between unimodal and bimodal rainfall zones all move the windows, sometimes by several weeks. Use them to plan when to open a conversation, and confirm the current-season position before committing to a shipment date.
Why does the export window extend beyond the harvest?
Because pulses store reasonably well and shipment continues from stored crop for months after the harvest closes. Later in the export window the proportion of carry-over material rises, which is exactly why crop year should be contracted explicitly rather than assumed.
What is the difference between unimodal and bimodal origins?
Unimodal origins have one rainy season and therefore one main harvest — southern Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia broadly follow this pattern. Bimodal origins have two rainy seasons and two harvests, which is the pattern in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and parts of northern Tanzania. Bimodal origins spread availability more evenly; unimodal origins have a narrower, more concentrated window.
When is the best time to buy?
It depends on whether price or specification matters more. The widest choice of colour type, size band and crop-fresh material exists while the harvest is actively moving. Later in the season the choice narrows and what remains skews towards what was harder to sell. If you need a narrow size band or a specific colour, buy when the material exists rather than when the price is lowest.
Need a position for a specific window?
Tell us the commodity, origin, specification, quantity and the month you need it loaded. Where the window does not work for an origin, we will say so rather than promise it.
- Commodity
- Origin
- Specification
- Quantity
- Shipment window