Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1179433,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1179433/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 2746,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "West Mugirango, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Stephen Mogaka",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "It is also extremely important to know that as we come up with this Sessional Paper on the National Agricultural Policy paper, let it not be pro-rich or pro-big industries that are the big actors in the agricultural sector. According to the Kenya Kwanza Coalition bottom-up approach to business, the real farmers this Policy should target are the small-scale growers of every crop in this country. The big industries, farms or plantations have a way of sorting themselves out, in terms of getting cheap input, high quality employees and a market for their produce. The real challenge we have in this country is how to fix the small-scale farmer in the country, whether in the livestock sector or agrarian sector. That is when we will solve our problem. When I was growing up, our little farm generated enough for our consumption and surplus for the market. As we stand today, many farmers depend on markets for a kilogramme of maize or beans. Kenya Kwanza Government must intervene and turn things upside down, so that every household provides food for itself, including the conventional non- agricultural areas of this country. I was told that all you need in Japan is 10 Kilogrammes of quality soil, hang it on a rafter of your roof and then plant your sukuma wiki. It will provide a meal for your household. These kinds of inventions are what we need to teach our children in school, so that as they grow up, they know that everybody can provide their own meals before they look at the Government for employment and other opportunities. Large-scale farmers and plantations are automating their production, particularly the plucking of tea. This Parliament should bring a law that regulates this. If you employ people for 20 years and then you decide to automate, you will be required to train and equip them with alternative skills, so that they can get employment elsewhere, once they are declared redundant. I support this Policy. I hope that it will impact positively on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of this country. I thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker."
}