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{
    "id": 103308,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/103308/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 327,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Kosgei",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Agriculture",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13,
        "legal_name": "Lucas Kipkosgei Chepkitony",
        "slug": "lucas-chepkitony"
    },
    "content": "disappear.” There were two reasons for it, and I made that statement last Friday in Meru. One of them is that if the maize is really bad and is going to kill people, you have to mop it out and see what to do with it, so that you remove it from the food chain. When I got to the Ministry of Agriculture, I was told that there was aflatoxin. The first week there was nothing else we discussed except aflatoxin. Within a few weeks, I think on 24th May, is when scientists from five different groups said that, definitely, it was a fact. We called a meeting on 28th and 31st. Some say “do not pay at all,’ others “pay them more”, and others “pay them very little.” My point of view is very simple. These people who have been affected this time are not our regular maize farmers. Unless one is able to cushion them to the level of their production costs, they will refuse to grow maize in future and we will be back to buying maize from outside the country. This is not what we should be doing. However, in a collective sitting situation, I lost that position and we got only half of what we wanted. Sometimes we have to tell the truth. So, that is where we are. I still believe that they should be cushioned to the level where they will go back to farm. After all, Government spends some money on the inputs and, therefore, we should see to it that we do not drive them under. I still hold that position and hope that somewhere along the line, we can make it easier for them. I do not understand why we do not have a seed producing mechanism for rice. Rice is food and it could ease our reliance on maize. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, since we are talking about agriculture, let me briefly say that while we have food problems and we know where they are; they include dams, irrigation, inputs and lack of subsidized agriculture. Everybody in the world says that they do not subsidize agriculture, but they do. We must, therefore, do something. That is where we must start our development. But there are other crops in the Kenya which affect our economy. They are tea, coffee, horticulture, cotton and pyrethrum. A lot of them are in the sick bay and we need to work a little harder. They have problems of high costs of energy, labour; to say nothing of the 13 different taxes that some of them have to go through. That is my problem and I will work with the other institutions that deal with this. When we need support from here, we shall come. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me once more say that this Motion is very timely and apt. From the debate that we have had here – and I am happy I was here to listen – it is well supported. The Ministry of Agriculture and I support it too. I am sure that the related Ministry of Water and Irrigation supports it too. So, what will stop us from moving forward? It is very simple; the key is called funds. This is because with the best will in the world, without the funds, we cannot make progress. That is why I can see that collectively and, obviously, we have the right vision, that is, to develop agriculture. You do not need to persuade me. I will persuade you to work jointly with us to make sure that the agricultural sector gets the funding it requires which must be monitored by all of us. If we are planting our own maize, we do not need to buy maize from somebody else. That way, we can save the funding for other things in this country and develop our economy. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to support."
}