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{
    "id": 1045044,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1045044/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 375,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wambua",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13199,
        "legal_name": "Enoch Kiio Wambua",
        "slug": "enoch-kiio-wambua"
    },
    "content": "will support them to save them from exploitation. Together, all of us shall make farmers all over the country to be proud of our nation if we protect them from exploitation because they are the pride of our nation. I am speaking to shared prosperity across all the value chains in the agriculture sector. Going back to the Bill, in 2013, two Acts of Parliament were passed; The Agriculture and Food Authority Act and The Crops Act. I have consulted widely on this Bill. The last consultation that I had was with you, Madam Deputy Speaker, in your capacity as my teacher and the Senator of Uasin Gishu. I have also consulted other colleagues including my brother, my friend and neighbour, the Senator for Makueni, Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. The moment he gets time, he will be speaking to this. Under The Crops Act, which lists tens of crops grown in this country, somebody, and I do not want to blame anyone, never thought that ndengu should find mention among crops grown in this country. That will explain to you why I have been very consistent saying that I do not want ndengu to be classified among pulses because we will lose the focus. The Food Crops Directorate under the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) is supposed to manage the development of mung beans, including regulation and marketing. However, records will bear me out that the Crops Directorate has done very little if anything to deal with mung beans; ndengu. That is why in consultation with colleagues, I have come up with this Bill, so that we place ndengu and ndengu farmers where they belong. According to The Economic Review of Agriculture of 2015, because that is the latest record that we have, the area under ndengu in this country increased over the years from 147,352 hectares in 2010 to 259,167 hectares in 2014. This led to an increase in production from 680,000 bags in 2010 to 1.345 million bags of ndengu in 2014. The production to date is even much higher. However, ndengu is not regulated because we have no records and there is no obligation on the part of the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and the County Executive Member responsible for agriculture in the counties. There is no proper record as to how much ndengu we have in the market today, how many farmers are growing ndengu and what varieties are available in the market today. Because of the potential that I see in the ndengu, which could ensure food security and its ability to grow into an economic mainstay, I have developed and continue to pursue this Bill. The beauty of this Bill is that it actually seeks to delineate the role of the National Government and county governments in relation to the Constitution, specifically in regard to growing, processing and marketing of ndengu. The roles are clearly defined in the Bill that I have proposed; that we intend to create a structure and infuse order in the production of ndengu across all the regions where it is grown. Responsibilities have been assigned to the Cabinet Secretary, who will set national policy and regulation of the sector in consultation with our stakeholders. The AFA has been given the responsibility to ensure implementation and compliance with national standards for the production and marketing of ndengu . The County Executive Committee Member responsible for agriculture where ndengu is grown"
}