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{
    "id": 1179407,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1179407/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 2720,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Bomet. Farmers were very articulate on their needs and their aspirations in terms of agriculture and how they want agriculture improved; both by the national Government and county governments, and the roles that each of the two levels of governments would play. In my own County of Kiambu, farmers who farm coffee and tea, dairy farmers and those like myself who rear pigs - and Hon. Temporary Speaker, by virtue of your religion, I know this may not be music to your ears - but pig rearing was one of the most lucrative farming activities in my county and in many counties in this country. But following the collapse of the Uplands Bacon Factory and almost the monopolisation of that sector by one or two players in the industry, farmers are then left at the mercy of a few monopolistic firms. I do not want to call them cartels because they are corporates and firms; but they operate in a manner that is almost equivalent to how cartels operate. They are also in agricultural production and, therefore, determine the price of commodities for farmers, and other business people who would act as middlemen in this trade. This kind of behaviour pervades not just in the pig rearing industry and meat processing industry, but also in our tea and coffee sector. Earlier, you heard the Member for Githunguri speak about the Statutory Instruments Act, and the Regulations that were brought to this House in the last Parliament; Regulations that have in a very negative manner affected how our coffee farmers make an earning; and to an extent, take away corporations that were otherwise, State corporations; and the story of Kenya Planters Co- operative Union (KPCU). This is a story for another day."
}