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{
    "id": 1272976,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1272976/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 193,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mithika Linturi",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 69,
        "legal_name": "Franklin Mithika Linturi",
        "slug": "franklin-linturi"
    },
    "content": "developed a three-year production target plan for cotton production on 40(?) acres in the Financial Year 2023/2024 and 60,000 in the Financial Year 2023/2025. In collaboration with the Governor of Busia County, on Friday we will be launching the growing of cotton on 11,000 hectares of land. Due to the collaboration and support from other partners, in another two or three months’ time, we are going to get seeds that will be enough to support farmers. On the question of what we are doing to address the issue of rising cost of BT Cotton seeds, the country has already identified a supplier called Mahyco Kenya Ltd., which is importing seeds from a company in India. Since the approval and commercialisation of the BT Cotton seed production in the Financial Year 2019 and 2020, the supplier has been selling the seeds at USD26 at Nairobi Warehouse. Towards the effort to bring down the cost of BT Cotton seeds, the Government has entered into collaboration with stakeholders to purchase and distribute cotton seeds to farmers free of charge. We are collaborating with the Governor of Busia County this Friday to enable us to cushion farmers against the rising cost of BT Cotton seed. On what the Ministry is doing to ensure there is affordable fertilizer and insecticides, the Government and other stakeholders are implementing 100 per cent subsidy programme on BT Cotton currently being supplied to farmers. The national and county governments are mobilising farmers to form strong cooperatives and building capacity of the cooperatives. Currently, there are 31 operational cotton cooperatives, which are expected to mobilise enough resources for farm inputs and organise marketing through contracting ginneries and textile mills. Thank you, Hon. Speaker."
}