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{
    "id": 1251057,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1251057/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 377,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this important debate on the Bill presented to this House by Sen. Tabitha Mutinda. I congratulate her for taking a step to propose a legislative Bill that will impact on all the 47 counties in our country. More importantly, 33 per cent of Kenya’s GDP is dependent on agriculture. Research has also shown that 40 per cent of the population in Kenya is engaged in some form of agriculture. So, it is the backbone as has been cited by all the Senators who have contributed to this debate. The future of this nation lies in how best we manage the agriculture sector. If we continue to do things the same way we have been doing, should not expect different results because fundamentally, nothing has changed. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in this Bill, I see a reaffirmation and reintroduction of a service that was being offered when a number of us were way younger. Growing up, extension officers would come to our villages in a timely fashion as invited by the farmers. They took an interest in the crops and livestock in those farms and all the activities that were happening. They would even check issues of soil erosion. The first person I heard talking about soil erosion before we were taught in an agriculture class in primary and later in high school, was the agricultural extension officer. He was explaining to my parents how they needed to take certain measures to prevent soil erosion. In those early days, we learnt that we needed to plant trees to serve as windbreakers. This then prevents movement of the top fertile soil, which yields good crop. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development should be able to roll out to Kenyans, a service that supports farmers in the rural sector, to make Kenya food sustainable. Many nations have achieved food security. I have in mind nations such as Israel. Water is very scarce there but the management of that resource and productive agriculture, has helped that nation to attain food security. There is no way we will move to a developed economy, unless we manage to sort the issues and cover the gaps that are in agriculture. Looking at Clause 3(b) of the Bill, one of the goals is to promote the generation of high income for farmers and traders through increased production and sourcing of competitive markets. It sounds like a loaded function of this Bill. Talking of sourcing competitive markets for the produce of farmers, it pains my heart to think of the milk I"
}