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{
    "id": 1157558,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1157558/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 306,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "will be a more reasonable direct representation of the county interests because the Bill also gives room for counties to play a role because this is a devolved function. Equally important is that the fact that the Bill is dealing with issues that really touch on the farmer. The Board will deal with non-payment of farmers by public companies. I encourage that we should not only focus on public companies. Private companies need regulation even more because they are profit driven than even public companies. They are likely to short change and suppress the farmer in the hunt for profit more than even public companies. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when you are talking of payment for farmers’ raw material which is cane to the factories, the Sugar Board should set minimum expectations of the farmer and leave it for the farmer and the millers to negotiate upwards. This is so that the farmer is not suppressed below a certain break-even line in terms of the cost of the tonnage of cane because cost of production varies from time to time. We need also a provision in this Bill on how to cushion the farmer. For example, last year a bag of fertilizer that is a critical component in sugar production in terms of cane development and growth was costing Kshs2,800. The Government has brought the cost of fertilizer from Kshs2,800 last year, to now Kshs6,800. The fertilizer is costing that much. As usual, the current Jubilee Government can hear, see and do no evil. They are just there, like the proverbial baboons in the cartoon series, covering their ears, mouths and eyes so that they see, hear or say nothing yet the farmer is suffering."
}