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{
    "id": 1088370,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1088370/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 259,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Zani",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13119,
        "legal_name": "Agnes Zani",
        "slug": "agnes-zani"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I beg to support and congratulate the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries for this important Bill. I just want to contextualize the importance of this Bill by saying that the value of coffee as a percentage of all export goods represented in 2017 is 5.5 per cent. Its share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is at 0.22 per cent. This is very high. I suspect the figures would be higher now because this data is a bit outdated. The coffee industry also contributes an average of Kshs23 billion annually in foreign earnings. This comes fourth after tourism, horticulture and tea. This just contextualizes the implementation of coffee in a country where up to 80 per cent of the people practice agriculture. If you look at the internet and various information on coffee, Kenyan coffee trades very high and is well liked. In fact, it is one of the world’s five best coffee in terms of brand. It is well recognized and known. Over time, we have lamented that more could have been done especially value addition. I heard some Members mention this earlier. I remember we used to say that when we have that level of value addition, the coffee can be exported at better variance, so that we can reap the best because other companies come in and do that. I see the institute that has been put in place has that to also take care of amongst its other responsibilities. It is amazing that most of the time when we think of coffee and its growth, we think of Mt. Kenya but there are many other areas which grow coffee. Therefore, we are looking at this as a national issue that really touches on various counties as well. They include the Aberdare Range, Kisii, Nyanza, Bungoma, Nakuru and Kericho. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I congratulate the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. When I looked at this Bill, I thought it is the sort of Bill you would want to have for so many other crop sectors be it tea or pyrethrum and even the coconut we eat. In the Kenyan typology, you find different plants in different parts of the country and they are useful in their communities. Remember apart from the Coffee Bill, we are talking of the tea and coconut Bills. Most importantly, we need to come up with a structure for each of these sectors so that they are cushioned well. This Bill introduces the Coffee Board of Kenya (CBK) and very important regulatory provisions. It gives clear roles for the national and county governments and enhances that counties can do more to promote coffee. It also talks about financial provisions for the CRIK so that they are able to do research. Their terms of services and how to conduct their business is stipulated. More important is that more research can improve the Sector over time. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Bill is very broad in touching most of these aspects but more characteristically, tying to decipher and have the national and county components and where the intermediary role can be. It also brings out how each of these can play their role to their utmost ability."
}