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{
"id": 1463612,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463612/?format=api",
"text_counter": 525,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Matayos, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Geoffrey Odanga",
"speaker": null,
"content": "There is an agriculture policy, but I think it could be very critical that we develop a sugarcane development policy separately, so that we can address and help both farmers and millers. We want to create a balance where millers can make profit out of their milling and farmers also can make profit out of their farming. Many farmers use many acres of their land to plant that crop, meaning that they are left with very little for food production. A policy needs to be developed to ensure that farmers reap the maximum so that they can meet their food requirements. Hon. Temporary Speaker, one of them is taking up the new varieties of sugarcane. There are several new varieties. Last week, I was talking to Dr. Omondi, the head of KARLO Kisumu, and he was telling me that sugarcane can be grown in many parts of this country. If research is done, there are various and different varieties of sugarcane that can be grown in different parts of the country. There are areas where sugarcane can be grown and harvested at 8 months. There are varieties that have already been developed and, in some areas, they can take 10 months. He told me that in areas like Busia, there is a variety that can take up to 13 to 14 months to harvest. Therefore, we need to invest heavily in research. It is important to develop the policy so that research is given a lot of prominence in this whole business. We must ensure that imports are limited. This is addressed in the Bill that is before the House. Import of sugarcane and sugar itself needs to be limited to the deficit. Currently, because the millers carry the day, we have seen situations where the farmers’ sugarcane around the millers in Kenya, for instance, are left over-growing and over-maturing in the farms, and the millers go for sugarcane from the neighbouring countries. This leaves farmers with their sugarcane that goes for even 30 months before it is harvested. This becomes a big problem. The same applies for imports. It was in the 12th Parliament that we heard of the importation of contaminated sugar. This is done by traders who do not care about the Kenyan people. The Bill provides that we need to have a policy on all sugarcane and sugar that is imported to ensure that we only import when we have a deficit. That deficit has to be determined before any imports are done. On the issue of zoning, in one of my master’s degrees, I researched about sugarcane farming and management in Nzoia and Mumias. One thing that came out clearly is that we need to have a policy on the issue of zoning. This is because there are areas like Trans Mara where a lot of sugarcane is on the farm, but the miller there do not want the other millers from outside to come and take that sugarcane. This is despite the fact that the millers from outside have the ability to crush, while that particular miller cannot. Therefore, we need a serious policy to address such issues going forward. Hon. Temporary Speaker, the sensitisation of the Kenyan people, particularly the farmers, is very important. They really need to be informed of the new varieties of sugarcane. Quite a number of farmers do not know about them. They need to be sensitised and supported. To get that support, a policy needs to be developed. Previously, the farmers who were unable to raise funds to finance their farming were supported by the millers, and then the amount of money given would be deducted when the harvest is done. Hon. Temporary Speaker, a lot needs to be done, especially in the area of research. At the moment, all research institutions have been lumped up together and I think that is a heavy task for KARLO alone. We need to have a sugarcane research foundation, coffee research and institutions for other crops like it was previously, so that seriousness is put into research. We also need to budget for it in this House so that we can allocate enough funding. If we do not do that, we will be taking this country to the dogs. With those remarks, I support. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1463613,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463613/?format=api",
"text_counter": 526,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": " Hon. Wilberforce Oundo, Member for Funyula."
},
{
"id": 1463614,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463614/?format=api",
"text_counter": 527,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Through you, we probably need to request the Parliamentary Service Commission to repair microphones so that I do not have to keep on shifting and, nowadays, you have told us to go digital by using the gadgets. I hope you will be kind and gracious enough to pass over the message."
},
{
"id": 1463615,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463615/?format=api",
"text_counter": 528,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": " Hon. Oundo, the message is noted by the Speaker and the Parliamentary Service Commission is watching the proceedings Action will be taken."
},
{
"id": 1463616,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463616/?format=api",
"text_counter": 529,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you. Allow me to sincerely thank my colleague, Hon. Nabulindo, for bringing this Motion to the House at this particular time. It is a timely Motion. The history of sugarcane farming in this country is a very sad one. It is, indeed, a very sad history that a country of the stature of Kenya should never have allowed to happen. I remember the late President Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi used to quip that: ‘ Siasa mbaya, maishambaya ’. The politics of sugarcane, sugar merchants and sugar trade have crippled sugarcane farming in this country. We were here in the morning talking about the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) under the County Government Additional Allocation Funds Bill. One of the key things that we raised, and Dr. Mutunga clearly prosecuted it is that, unless we focus on production of raw materials, all the edifices, structures and industrial parks we are putting up will become white elephant projects. This is because we forget the people who generate the raw material. We cannot talk about the end product if we do not invest in the production of raw materials. In every election cycle, sugarcane farmers are the pawns in all election campaigns. It is even reported that quite a number of politicians have never wanted sugarcane millers to be operational, especially the publicly funded ones. That is because in every single election cycle, there is an avenue to raise funds for campaigns. We keep on ignoring the farmer; we keep on forgetting the farmer. That is why the plea by Hon. Nabulindo, in the Motion, should move the powers that be to ensure that we concentrate on the farmer. What do we do with the farmer? He has lamented that farmers are abandoning sugarcane farming, but any rational person will not continue investing his time, efforts and money where the returns are negative! None! Even a mad man in the village will never agree to stay in a market centre where he cannot get a source of livelihood. He will move to the next one. So, it is all about rationality. In land economies, we have the principle of the highest and best use, where any landowner will only commit that particular land where he is going to get the highest returns. Sugarcane, over time and because of mismanagement of sugar milling factories, no longer offers the highest and best returns for even half an acre of land in Mumias. Why plant, wait for 24 months, supply and, again, wait for 36 months to be paid? How do you eat? How do you pay your medical cover? How do you pay your school fees? How do you entertain yourself? How do you feed your family? How do you increase your household, if you have no source of income because you have tied your investment in sugarcane that is not likely to earn you anything in the nearest future? Has there been any incentives accorded to farmers? The answer is zero. We came here last year and moved a Motion to allow the national Treasury to pay sugar factories some money. Where did that money go to? It was used to write off pending taxes. Who benefited? The sugar millers. The farmer was ignored. We said we will pay the farmers because they were fourth and fifth in priority. I am sure Hon. Nabulindo will tell us whether those in the Mumias Sugar Belt, even himself, were paid. I The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1463617,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463617/?format=api",
"text_counter": 530,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo",
"speaker": null,
"content": "have seen Hon. Jared Okello here. I have not seen Members from the Awendo Sugar Belt. Were farmers paid their outstanding dues? Probably not. So, they dispirit the farmer to proceed with sugarcane farming. Do we even have farmers in our financial institutions? We used to have Agricultural Finance Cooperation (AFC). Do they still fund farmers and give them farm equipment, farm inputs, and assist them in land preparation? The answer is no. I have been a valuer. One of the many valuations I did concerned foreclosure of farmers who took loans to invest in agriculture, but it failed because of poor management at the tail-end. Adverse weather conditions are also a contributing factor. This country must walk the talk. We are very good in political platitudes. We are very good when we are given microphones to speak. We keep on promising what we cannot do and ignore the people who make us what we are. We used to have the Kenya Sugar Industry Research Foundation, (KSREF) that was headquartered in Kibos. When the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Act came into effect, all of them were collapsed. So, they abandoned research institutions that would have given us early maturing sugarcane varieties with high sucrose content. Yet, we have a full-fledged Ministry of Agriculture at the national level. We have 47 county governments that have a huge budget for agricultural extension officers. Yet, all that money only goes to pay personal emoluments. There is nothing that goes to develop and support the farmers. It is time we re-looked at these things in a completely different way. I hope our experts from Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) who have gone to assist where others were unable to work will, at least, inject some vibrance and use a new approach. We ask the appointing ‘power-that-be’ that the agriculture docket should be given to people who understand those things. It is shameful that cartels and sugar barons, who are known, will never allow the sugarcane subsector to expand. We hope that the Sugar Development Bill that we have just passed... Since we have made amendments here, we will have to go for mediation with our counterparts in the Senate. I implore the Senate that they need to go beyond pettiness and allow us to process the Sugar Bill into an Act of parliament as soon as it is practically possible. We have spoken a lot about sugarcane farming. The governors in sugar belt areas have had endless conferences in high-cost hotels, but ignoring the farmers who suffers the most. Where I come from, there is a sugar factory that is domiciled in Hon. Odanga's Constituency that has leased a whole chunk of land along the swamps to basically grow sugarcane. They have leased and so, that means that the small-scale farmer is no longer given consideration. The model is changing to leasing of parcels of land and amalgamation…."
},
{
"id": 1463618,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463618/?format=api",
"text_counter": 531,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": " Your time is up, but I will give you one minute to support the technology you mentioned. Hon. Members, I am warning you that the lights you are used to are not working."
},
{
"id": 1463619,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463619/?format=api",
"text_counter": 532,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo",
"speaker": null,
"content": " I was not alerted. So, in that score, I support. May I expand by saying that we also bond county governments to invest in sugarcane production. With those very many remarks, I support the Motion."
},
{
"id": 1463620,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463620/?format=api",
"text_counter": 533,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": " We will have Hon. Abdul Rahim Dawood to be followed by Hon. Adan Keynan because of rank."
},
{
"id": 1463621,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463621/?format=api",
"text_counter": 534,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "North Imenti, Independent",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Rahim Dawood",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. First, I congratulate Hon. Nabulindo for bringing this Motion. It is not that I do sugarcane farming in my constituency or my county but, as Hon. Odanga has just mentioned, there are varieties which can be done in any part of the country. There is a fallacy that we are amongst the top producers of sugarcane but, the top producers of sugar cane are Brazil at 38 per cent, India at 22 or 23 per cent, and then us. We started sugarcane The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}
]
}