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{
    "id": 1049250,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1049250/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 270,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Matuga, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kassim Tandaza",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13287,
        "legal_name": "Kassim Sawa Tandaza",
        "slug": "kassim-sawa-tandaza"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I thank the Members for the debate and further research that you have undertaken on this matter of the Crops (Amendment) Bill in having Bixa in the First Schedule of the scheduled crops. I would also want to thank my constituents who have been following this debate live from their homes, from last week. They have also requested me to pass their gratitude to the Members for this particular debate and the contributions which have come from both sides of the House, all supporting the scheduling of this crop. Since all of us have supported this crop, I might not really have much to add apart from the fact that my constituents informed me that I should inform the House that as we speak, and as we have agreed to have this crop scheduled, they want you to know that they have been having only one buyer of this crop, namely, the Kenya Bixa, but because of the Coronavirus, they were not able to process and export. The farmers currently have over 100 tonnes of Bixa seeds in their stores not knowing where to take them. Of course, they do not have enough storage space, but they are now hopeful that with the passage of this Bill, and definitely as required by law, they expect that even when the only single buyer does not take their crop, the Government will come in, in terms of marketing, storage and guaranteeing them the minimum price. When this crop was introduced in the 70s, the price went to as high as Kshs140 per kilo. Hon. (Dr.) Nyikal has put it correctly that currently, before they stopped buying, they were buying it at Kshs65. So, you can imagine a crop which was going for Kshs140 in the 70s, about 50 years later, it has dropped to less than half the price. You can imagine the agony of the farmers and what they are going through. At least, with the passage of this Bill, the farmers of my constituency in Kwale, Kilifi and Lamu will benefit. As Hon. Mbogo put it correctly, last week the constituents of Lamu were demonstrating. Sometimes demonstrations in the Coast are not covered by our mainstream media, but there were demonstrations in Lamu, Mpeketoni, specifically about Bixa . They claim that they have it in their farms, but the only buyer has closed because he cannot export and they had hinged all their hopes in selling their crop to take their children to school and take care of their livelihood."
}