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{
    "id": 1255179,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1255179/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 406,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wamatinga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13582,
        "legal_name": "Wahome Wamatinga",
        "slug": "wahome-wamatinga"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, I sit in the Agricultural Committee and since we joined this House, we have gone around the country to do public participation with regard to Cotton Bill, Tea Bill and Coffee Bill. One thing that we have come to notice as Senators is that farmers do not have the services of agricultural extension officers. We have also realised that the crop and livestock yield has declined over the years. Therefore, as we embark on laws to ensure that the cartels that have replaced the coffee and tea sector are done away with, we should come up with good marketing laws. We must also ensure that farmers have the produce to sell. Therefore, agricultural extension officers both in livestock and crop, must do this. Agriculture is a devolved function and the demographic shape of the Kenyan population is changing by the day. It is high time we came up with strategies that will incorporate the ever-growing younger population into agriculture. It cannot happen unless we embrace new technological approaches and methods. Agribusiness stands as one of the single biggest opportunities to employ most of our youth. However, that cannot happen unless we also put in a concerted effort and deliberately introduce agriculture and livestock extension officers who will work together with the communities so that they give agriculture a new face that it must get. This Bill is timely and agriculture being a devolved unit, it is high time that we started investing more into it as a country. As I was growing up, I do recall that we could drive all our livestock, cattle and goats to one cattle dip. We would get the services of the Institute of Agriculture and Engineering (IAE) and therefore the breed could be brought systematically. Madam Temporary Speaker, that has ceased to be. It is high time we reintroduce that. The only way to reintroduce that is to ensure that we have agricultural extension officers. By so doing, we must also ensure that the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges that have been opened across the country in all the constituencies start offering the services of agribusiness so that the younger generation can find it more attractive and maybe even go high-tech. As we try to get them in that employment sector, we must also ensure that the yield in our farms and from our livestock has been improved. That cannot happen when we still insist on the traditional methods of farming. Therefore, it is high time that we moved as a Nation and improved the sector that has the potential to not only employ many people but indeed, also to earn the country foreign exchange. Madam Temporary Speaker, we have seen what is happening in the foreign exchange market. The dollar is continuing to gain strength against the Kenyan currency. It is because we have nothing to export. We know that we have export opportunities in the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGO). However, we know that the Pakistani’s have been taking advantage of this because our cotton yield has gone down. Therefore, this is the very appropriate Bill. I take this opportunity to thank Sen. Tabitha Mutinda for introducing it and we look forward to actualising it."
}