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{
    "id": 1017264,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1017264/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 16,
    "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. I am happy that Sen. Cheruiyot understands. I strongly support this Petition. I know each of the five petitioners whose names have been read by Sen. (Dr.) Mbito. They are big farmers, seed multipliers and are very committed to farming. Kenya is classified as an agricultural country. An agricultural country where continued policies say everything, but do not support the farmer. However, the farmer in this country is on his/her own. When we talk of subsidies and you go to the countryside - hon. Senators can bear me witness on this - you find the governors giving a gorogoro of fertilizer subsidy to a family. What food production can you have from a gorogoro of Diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer? More importantly, it is the compromise of seed multiplication and production. In the old days, the Government used to pay a lot of attention to the management of Kenya Seed Company (KSC) which was producing seeds that were distributed in the entire East African region; that is Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Zambia. Today, the KSC is a limping giant. They cannot produce enough seeds for Kenya. The seeds that they are producing are so compromised in quality that, at the end of the day, the farmers are not getting any yields at all. In our maize inquiry ad hoc Committee where Sen. (Dr.) Mbito was a Member; we flagged out the dwindling fortunes of food production as one of the problems in the maize sector, reckless importation, lack of inputs and, above all, post-harvest losses and the lack of Government intervention to stabilize maize prices. I have always exhibited a lot of confidence in Sen. Ndwiga who is the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries because I worked with him when he was the Minister of Cooperatives. His commitment to agriculture and its improvement in this country was extremely admirable. I want to urge his Committee to look into the operations of KSC, its funding, marketing and, above all, the zoning that we used to have on how to have maize seed multiplication without adulterating the crop by planting commercial maize alongside seed maize. We want to see that even dry areas of Ukambani where Katumani maize is produced in three months are supported in multiplying seeds that help in growing maize in areas that have rain deficit. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this Petition is timely. I salute the five farmers who I know very well. I have no doubt that this Petition will be given due attention. When it appears before the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, I urge Sen. (Dr.) Mbito and all of us who come from the maize basket areas of Uasin Gishu, Nakuru, Bungoma, The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}