Growing Broccoli in Narok

Soil suitability analysis based on Narok's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Yes — Narok is well suited to Broccoli. Narok's soil (pH 6.13, slightly acidic) gives Broccoli a suitability score of 77/100. Match fertilizer to Narok's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Narok County is well suited to Broccoli, scoring 77/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.13 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 6–7.5 band Broccoli prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (1.63 g/kg), phosphorus (25.7 mg/kg) and potassium (234 mg/kg) all meet Broccoli's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Broccoli, which favours loam. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Broccoli is the #73 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Narok County. At current prices (about KES 90/kg) and a typical 6,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Broccoli crop here can gross roughly KES 540,000 per acre.

77Suitability score

Soil & climate match

FactorNarok soilBroccoli needsStatus
pH6.1367.5OK
Nitrogen1.63 g/kgmin 1.2 g/kgOK
Phosphorus25.7 mg/kgmin 20 mg/kgOK
Potassium234 mg/kgmin 200 mg/kgOK
Rainfall800 mm800–1,500 mmOK
Altitude1,700 m1,800–2,800 mLow

Planting calendar

Long Rains

Month 1
Nursery Preparation & Transplanting & DAP Basal
Month 2
CAN Top Dressing (week 3) & Caterpillar Control
Month 3
Head Initiation Top Dress & Harvesting

Short Rains

Month 1
Nursery & Transplanting
Month 2
Top Dressing & DBM Scouting
Month 3
Harvesting

Dry Season

Month 1
Irrigation-based Transplanting
Month 2
CAN Top Dressing & Pest Management
Month 3
Harvesting & Land Preparation

Top dressing guide

Product
CAN
Timing
Week 3 then head initiation (week 6)
Instruction
Apply 3 weeks after transplanting and again at head initiation (~week 6); broccoli needs steady N for tight heads
Bags per Acre
1.5

Recommended seed varieties

CalabreseHighland
Simlaw Seeds · 70-90 days · 2–3.5 tons/acre
Open-pollinated broccoli; central head plus side shoots; suited to cool highlands.
Green Magic F1Highland
East Africa Seeds · 60-75 days · 3–4.5 tons/acre
Hybrid; uniform dome heads; heat tolerant; export and supermarket quality.
Marathon F1Highland
Royal Seeds · 75-95 days · 2.8–4.3 tons/acre
Large dense heads; downy mildew tolerant; excellent for high-altitude production.

Economics

Market priceKES 90/kg
Expected yield in Narok5,775 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 519,750/acre
Adjusted for Narok's 77/100 suitability. Under ideal conditions Broccoli can reach 6,000 kg/acre (~KES 540,000/acre) — attainable here only after the climate and soil constraints below are addressed.

Preferred textureLoam

Fertilizer prices

DAP
KES 3,500(6,500)
CAN
KES 2,875(5,700)
NPK 17:17:17
KES 3,275(5,600)
Urea
KES 3,500(5,500)
Lime
KES 1,500(1,800)

Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag