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{
    "id": 1012761,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1012761/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 42,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Pursuant to Standing Order No.48 (1), I seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries regarding Government support to maize farmers in the Western Belt of Kenya. In the Statement, the Committee should- (a)Outline the steps the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries is taking to ensure that the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) buys maize from farmers from the Western Belt that is due for harvest now. (b)State the measures the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) is taking to ensure that the maize farmers are supplied with farm inputs, fertilizers and the right seeds in view of the flooding of markets by many seed companies, particularly during the imminent planting season. (c)Explain the measures the Government is putting in place to prevent over importation of maize and secure reasonable prices for local farmers. Mr. Speaker, Sir, right now, right from Kehancha through Narok, Bomet, Kericho, Nyanza Counties, Nandi, Bungoma all the way to Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Nakuru and Uasin Gishu, people are all harvesting maize. The Strategic Food Reserve Fund that always supplied money to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to buy maize has been disbanded and there is no plan as we speak of opening NCPB stores to buy maize from farmers. We want to know what the Government is doing to cushion farmers from massive post-harvest losses because if the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores are not open in all these areas, no farmer will be able to sell their produce to anybody other than middlemen who mop up the maize at throwaway prices, store it and sell it back to consumers at exorbitant prices when there is scarcity. This is leaving the farmer to struggle on his own when, in fact, the Strategic Food Reserve Fund at the time it was degazetted, had an account balance of Kshs.18 billion credit. Where did this money go?"
}