The green vegetable tender stem broccoli, which is related to kale, cauliflower, and cabbages, can be cooked and served alongside other foods or used to make soup or salad.
The health benefits of tender stem broccoli, despite its rarity in Kenya, include lowering cholesterol levels, improving blood sugar control, encouraging heart health, preventing cancer, and aiding in digestion.
Additional health advantages include supporting a healthy immune system, boosting healthy cognitive functions, and slowing the aging process.
Manoah Esipisu, Kenya’s high commissioner to the UK, stated on February 16 that tender-stem broccoli was one of the most popular vegetables in Europe.
In the UK, many dinner tables now require these veggies to accompany the customary Sunday roast of Scotch beef or Welsh lamb, he said.
200 grams of tender stem broccoli, according to several local marketplaces, costs more than Ksh100.
To reach maturity, it needs two to three months to grow. Large-scale broccoli producers end up making millions of dollars thanks to a ready market in the UK and other European nations.
A farmer previously revealed to FarmBiz Africa that his quarter-acre farm produces over 1,000 metric tonnes of broccoli each year.
The farmer earns about Ksh270,000 from a quarter of an acre in the European market. Yet, tender stem broccoli sells for close to Ksh1.2 million per acre on the export market.
Planting Tender Stem Broccoli
Farmers in Central Kenya, Western Kenya, the Rift Valley, and other regions grow tender stem broccoli because of its nutritional benefits.
Farmers in Kenya cultivate Heritage Broccoli, which matures in three months, and Rock Broccoli, which matures in two and a half months.
The unusual vegetable grows best in regions with cool temperatures and at least six hours of sunlight per day. Moreover, it needs healthy, well-drained soil to develop.
A agricultural manual called Smart Farm Kenya states that tender stem broccoli needs soil with a pH of six and temperatures ranging from 14 to 200 degrees Celsius.
Agricultural extension agents advise farmers growing broccoli to combine manure and organic nitrogen fertilizers.
The seeds are planted in a nursery as part of the first stage of the vegetable’s growth. In 14 days, the seedbed is irrigated in preparation for transplanting.
30 to 60 cm should be left between rows, according to Smart Farm Kenya. Tender stem broccoli needs enough water during the growing season. Mulching is advised in places with insufficient water supplies.
Together with sufficient water supply, weeding and suitable manure application ensure that the crop matures. Before maturity, insecticides must be applied correctly and on time.
Growing tender-stem broccoli is a recommended application of crop rotation.
Harvesting
The heads of broccoli should be well-formed for harvesting, according to Kenyan farmer trends.
Farmers are instructed to trim broccoli stems at an angle at that point to prevent rotting.
Farmers are also urged to locate a ready market in advance of harvest. The product is in high demand in US and European supermarkets, hotels, and export markets.
