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{
    "id": 1184226,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1184226/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 261,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Endebess, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The regime that was there discouraged Community Food Security (CFS) from planting maize, but short-term crops. These short-term crops were tomatoes that could not perform in that area. In a way, we even contributed to food deficit. It would be better if we had allowed these farmers, in addition to taking care of the trees, to plant maize in the Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (PELIS). These are areas where timber companies had harvested trees and the land left fallow. The communities surrounding it formed CFSs that plant maize and trees. They took care of those trees. Once the trees reached a certain level, they chased those who were planting maize. In a way, we have made our farmers poor. We have impoverished them and made them not to have food for themselves and yet we are here complaining. The Government has said that we are subsidising fertiliser which is a good thing, but let us subsidise fertiliser for the next crop. The cost of production of the current crop was just too high. We were buying fertiliser at around Ksh6,000, and a 10-kilogramme packet of maize seeds at around Ksh2,000 or Ksh3,000. Then, add ploughing costs which was high due to the high cost of fuel. At a time when millers are trying to blackmail farmers, we are telling farmers that we are importing GMOs to bring down their prices. It is wrong. Market forces should control prices. Farmers should sell their maize at around Ksh6,000 per 90 kilogramme bag. If that is the price, we will mop up all the maize available there. The Government can do even better. They can open NCPBs, purchase from farmers and feed Kenyans who are not having food in other areas."
}