As Kenyans embrace broccoli consumption due to its health benefits, more farmers are attracted to the business, given the handsome earnings.

James Waweru, a Kiambu County-based farmer, is one of the farmers who has made significant strides after stepping into the venture. He shares some tips on how to get the best out of the crop.

“Broccoli takes a long time to mature. So be patient! Once you harvest the main head of a broccoli plant, it will often keep producing smaller side shoots that can be enjoyed for months to come,” says Waweru.

According to him, broccoli does well in soils with a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0. This helps to keep clubroot disease at bay.

The soil should be well watered and fertile, and farmers can mix compost manure and nitrogen-rich organic fertilizers to promote good crop growth.

The crop can be directly seeded or planted in a nursery bed, then transplanted after four to six weeks. When planting, spacing of 45cm to 90cm between rows and 30cm to 60cm within rows should be maintained.

“Before transplanting, fertilizers high in phosphorous and potassium should be applied. Since broccoli is a heavy feeder, it should be top-dressed with potassium and nitrogenous fertilizers four weeks after transplanting,” says Waweru.

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Frequent irrigation is required since the crop has a shallow root system and, therefore, requires constant moisture availability to promote the production of large heads.

“Little moisture results in tough, fibrous stalks and tip-burn of the plant,” he says.

The crop is prone to aphids, cabbage loopers, cabbage root maggots, cabbage worms, clubroot, downy mildew, white rust, and whiteflies; therefore, a lot of care is required.

Depending on the variety, Broccoli takes 50 to 100 days to reach maturity. The crop has a ready market both locally and internationally. Two hundred grams of tender stem broccoli costs Sh100 and above in the local market.

The crop fetches higher profits in the UK and European markets, and large-scale broccoli farmers end up fetching millions.

In a previous interview, a farmer told FarmBiz Africa that he harvests over 1,000 metric tonnes of broccoli from his quarter-acre farm.

From a quarter an acre, the farmer collects close to Sh270,000 in the European market. However, for an acre, tender stem broccoli fetches close to Sh1.2 million in the export market.

“It is important for broccoli farmers to understand that the vegetable has a relatively short shelf-life. It is, therefore, important to get it to the market as soon as possible,” advises Waweru.

Broccoli is popular for its health benefits, including lowering cholesterol levels, reducing blood sugar control, promoting heart health, protecting against cancer, and also helping consumers with digestion.

It can be prepared as an accompaniment to consume with other dishes or used as salad.