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{
"id": 1623462,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623462/?format=api",
"text_counter": 212,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. David Ochieng’",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you. Next is the Member for Busia County."
},
{
"id": 1623463,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623463/?format=api",
"text_counter": 213,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Busia County, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Catherine Omanyo",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I support this Bill because the time we used to do things haphazardly and just gazing without upping our game in increasing productivity has passed because population keeps increasing. I think pesticides, the enemy of crop and livestock, and other knowledge that farmers have been applying has necessitated constant change. We know extension officers who usually can be found in a very big location. We do not have enough of these officers to support the farmers or be there on time to adequately give the appropriate advice if anything befalls the farmers. The extension officers are not trained often and they lack funding to enable them reach every farmer. Most times, they lack means to access some interior places where we have indigenous rooted agriculturalists, real farmers who do not even think of white collar jobs but depend 100 per cent on agriculture. Technology has changed significantly where if you do not train these officers, even if they were to reach the farmers, they would have a normal tête- à-tête instead of giving them know-how and skills they need. To effectively support farmers, we need to take this section seriously as a nation and give it adequate funding."
},
{
"id": 1623464,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623464/?format=api",
"text_counter": 214,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Busia County, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Catherine Omanyo",
"speaker": null,
"content": "When I was young, I was told agriculture is the backbone of our nation. How can it be a backbone yet it is weak? It means we cannot feed all our people and supply because if it is the backbone, it should also earn foreign exchange."
},
{
"id": 1623465,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623465/?format=api",
"text_counter": 215,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Busia County, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Catherine Omanyo",
"speaker": null,
"content": "This Bill was long overdue. I support it fully."
},
{
"id": 1623466,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623466/?format=api",
"text_counter": 216,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Busia County, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Catherine Omanyo",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you."
},
{
"id": 1623467,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623467/?format=api",
"text_counter": 217,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. David Ochieng’",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Member for Mandera West."
},
{
"id": 1623468,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623468/?format=api",
"text_counter": 218,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mandera West, UDM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Yusuf Adan",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I stand to support this Bill. Extension officers are key to our farming systems. I got the opportunity to work as an extension officer for a very long time. In the olden days, food production was adequate because the extension officers were in place and farmers were being properly guided. We had something called training and visit. The extension officers, after 14 days, are brought together and trained on all the new technologies. They are equipped with new equipment that is required and in the next 14 days, they go farm to farm to train farmers. It is like a farmer school, where the extension officers are the teachers. In cases like now, the extension officers are either absent or they are just too few and they are demoralised because they are not doing much. Hon. Temporary Speaker, farmers are like students in a classroom with no teacher. What can we expect in terms of their performance? Just as students who attend class throughout the year are evaluated at the end, farmers who have not received proper guidance will not achieve the desired results. Many farmers continue to operate as they have for generations without adapting to modern practices. In this day and age, various new technologies are available, and it is crucial that farmers are updated by extension officers. Unfortunately, since the devolution of functions, extension services have not been prioritised as they should be. To ensure food security and an adequate food supply for ourselves, we must adopt current farming techniques. Otherwise, with a growing population and more mouths to feed, if extension services remain lacking and farmers continue using outdated methods, we cannot expect sufficient food production in the country. A nation where citizens are hungry is akin to slavery. When people are desperate for food, they may resort to extreme measures, including undermining their own country or migrating, which results in a loss of labour. Therefore, extension services must be given the priority they require. Currently, many individuals lack qualifications because there are no checks and balances in place. They fill the vacuum left by the shortage of trained extension officers, pretending to be qualified. This misleads farmers into believing these individuals are 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": 1623469,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623469/?format=api",
"text_counter": 219,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mandera West, UDM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Yusuf Adan",
"speaker": null,
"content": "knowledgeable and capable of providing proper extension services. As a result, farmers may follow misguided advice, leading to poor food production outcomes. This is why the proposed Bill is very important. It ensures that anyone claiming to be an extension officer must be certified and qualified. We cannot allow unqualified individuals to mislead our farmers and interfere with our agricultural productivity. We have many educated young people in agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and other related sectors. However, because county governments are not prioritising extension services and agriculture has been devolved, the situation continues to deteriorate each year. I strongly advocate for the swift passage and enforcement of this Bill. Individuals calling themselves extension workers must be qualified, passionate, and knowledgeable in order to effectively assist farmers. Recently, some crooks imported fake fertilisers into the country. While the packaging claimed it was fertiliser, the content was not genuine. If we had effective extension officers in the field, at points of entry, and in transit, such incidents could have been prevented. The absence of qualified extension officers and the failure to prioritise these roles have led to these issues. With these few remarks, I support. We want this Bill to be passed as quickly as possible and implemented to the letter."
},
{
"id": 1623470,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623470/?format=api",
"text_counter": 220,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. David Ochieng’",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you. Next is the Member for Nambale, Hon. Mulanya."
},
{
"id": 1623471,
"url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623471/?format=api",
"text_counter": 221,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Nambale, Independent",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Geoffrey Mulanya",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to speak on this Bill. As Members of this House, we need to expedite its legislation so that we can enact it into law. As has been stated, agriculture is the backbone of our economy. If we improve agriculture, we undoubtedly improve our economy. For a very long time, farmers in this nation have been left to fend for themselves. The Government has even attempted to subsidise fertiliser, but one must ask the question: as we provide this subsidy and supply this fertiliser, do we have enough trained officers to advise farmers across various regions on the appropriate fertiliser for their farms? The answer is no, as there is a lack of legislation and policy addressing this issue. I am thrilled to have a Bill that seeks to introduce an agricultural and livestock service policy. This is key in ensuring that our farmers have a resource for seeking advice, whether related to crops or livestock. Although agriculture is a devolved function, there is an urgent need for coordination between the two levels of government to effectively support farmers. If we leave this solely to the county governments, they may not be able to provide the necessary services to ensure our farmers are properly supported. Section 3 of the Bill seeks to foster coordination and collaboration in external services involving the national Government, county government, non-governmental organisations, educational institutions, research bodies, and other non-state actors. Due to the vacuum that has existed, many non-governmental organisations have stepped in, supplying various crops and encouraging farmers to plant them without adequate research. They also provide dairy cattle to farmers, but once a dairy farmer receives these cattle, there is often no veterinary service available to them. Consequently, many farmers resort to hiring unqualified individuals to treat their animals. Section 4 establishes the national extension services policy, which is extensive and far- reaching in regard to the capacity development of these services. We know that emerging issues arise in every sector; even in agriculture, we have farmers who are experiencing crop failure. This is not due to insufficient rain or inadequate fertiliser application; rather, it may be due to a lack of soil sampling conducted on their farms to advise them on which specific seeds are suitable for planting in their particular region. There is simply insufficient guidance to our 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."
}
]
}