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{
    "id": 1030420,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1030420/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 114,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 124,
        "legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
        "slug": "samson-ongeri"
    },
    "content": "We realized that one of the elements that was amiss at that time was the issue of subsidized fertilizers. When it was left to the market forces, the fertilizer cost went beyond the reach of the farmer. They hoped that using collective bargaining agreements in terms of the volume and the number of small-scale holders, through the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) and other institutions, they would be able to get a fair price. Unfortunately, they have not had that opportunity to get a fair price. Therefore, right at the farm level, we saw that the application of fertilizers was missing and, therefore, they are not able to maximize on their productivity. Secondly, we also noted that the support agricultural staff and extension officers that were very critical to help the small-scale farmer assess their potential were not even available. The farmers, therefore, picked up farming techniques from their cultural practices the way they have seen it handed over from one generation to another. That was something that was missing. Furthermore, we noted bottlenecks on delivery of green leaves to the factory and delivery of processed tea to the auction market in Mombasa. The private transportation costs were prohibitive because they were based on market forces hence they were out of reach for the farmers. The prices kept on fluctuating, thus there was no stability in transportation costs."
}