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{
    "id": 132354,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/132354/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 443,
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    "content": "the higher scales only for the freeze on these extension staff personnel which was recommended by the World Bank. In fact, for about 10 years or 15 years we were not allowed to employ any staff. I am happy that the Government has now accepted that we cannot transform agriculture if farmers operate with information of the last century. We must update the farmer. The farmer must use update information. The farmer can make quality decisions if he or she has quality information. The quality of decisions farmers are able to make is informed by the quality of information they have. Therefore, on average, we have been allowed to recruit 600 members of staff for this exercise. I believe that the shortage that we have, of about 7,000 staff members, we should be able to get there. If we had resources, there are many people who have been trained already and are ready to swing into action once we are in a position to support them in the budget. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I note that hon. Members have raised issues of value addition and agro-processing. That is the way to go. If you look at our tea and coffee sub-sector, value addition is still at between 1 per cent and 5 per cent. It means that most of our tea is sold in international market in bulk. The way to go, to create more jobs and create more income, is to add value so that not only the farmer gets more money but we also bring on board many jobs. We are moving in that direction and if hon. Members will notice, on other cash crops like cashewnuts, we have now banned the export of raw cashewnuts so that it is processed locally to retain our jobs. We are looking at areas of expanding value addition and agro-processing. That is the way that we are going to use the agricultural sector to create more jobs, wealth and eliminate poverty. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to single out a recommendation by the hon. Member for Ol Kalou Constituency of guaranteed minimum returns. This is a concept that I have already instructed the Ministry staff to work on. We are seriously considering re-introducing a guaranteed minimum return scheme. This is going to spread all the way to livestock farming. There must be an insurance system that does not give any chance to farmers to be impoverished because there was drought or the rains failed to come. That scheme must get funding and the Government must lead the way. I agree and I want to inform hon. Members that already some work is going into the preparation of an insurance scheme for farmers to ensure that they do not sink out of the vagaries of weather which they have no control over."
}