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{
    "id": 1030356,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1030356/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 50,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "These statistics are impressive especially to the government, tea factories management and traders, but a source of pain and sorrow for the tea farmers when it comes to returns on investment. Mr. Speaker, Sir, ordinarily, the end of every year has traditionally been a time full of excitement for many tea farmers because it is during this time of the year that they receive handsome bonuses for raw tea supplied to factories for the year. However, in 2020, farmers are bitterly crying and contemplating uprooting their tea bushes; not out of choice or better alternative land use, but due to frustrations and the realization that tea planting is wasted labour time and resources. It is painful that despite the fact that Kenya is recognized worldwide in terms of producing high quality and marketable tea, the farmers who are the real back-bone, languish in squalor. Just to mention a few problems faced by the tea farmers in addition to the low bonus payments; farmers are paid yearly, reducing monthly purchase price for raw tea, no subsidized fertilizer, mistreatment and frustrations from monopoly tea processing companies and their employees, non-existent extension services, corruption in weighing and tea leaf hawking, among others. I am deeply concerned by the happenings in the tea industry because Vihiga County is blessed to host one of the tea processing factories in Kenya, Mudete Tea Factory, and majority of the residents have tea plantations. Having the factory in the county is a good thing as the tea industry offers both direct and indirect employment. In fact, Mudete Market has grown owing to the location of this tea factory."
}