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{
    "id": 133071,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/133071/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 73,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Duale",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Livestock Development",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 15,
        "legal_name": "Aden Bare Duale",
        "slug": "aden-duale"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will be precise. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a)The Drought Emergency Livestock Off-take Project is an intervention by the Government against drought and famine for the pastoralists in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) in this country. In this programme, the Government has released Kshs500 million to KMC to enable the commission to purchase and salvage the livestock that is on the verge of death due to starvation. In view of the prolonged drought in the country which has adversely affected the pastoralists, the Government has launched the second off-take programme. To this effect, the Government has further – under this programme - released an additional Kshs500 million loan and Kshs200 million grants to KMC which will cover the entire country. In the second off-take, KMC will purchase each animal irrespective of the size at Kshs8, 000. To cushion the pastoralists further, my Ministry will transport the purchased livestock to KMC free of charge from the producer point in the whole country. So far, in the first off-take, KMC through the Drought Emergency Livestock off-take has purchased 32,260 herds of cattle from 55 districts in the ASAL including Marsabit, Moyale, Chalbi, Laisamis and Isiolo where they bought 3,420 herds. (b)This programme took off in April this year and is still in progress. Under this programme KMC was paying Kshs100 per kilogramme of hot carcass dress weight. Reports from some of these districts indicated complaints that the indication of the livestock body condition was very good and livestock owners were unwilling to sell their animals to KMC by then. Unfortunately the failure of the expected rains in the month of April and May this year and subsequent scarcity of water and pasture has jolted the pastoralists to the need to destock their livestock. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, yesterday in Marsabit, Sololo, Moyale and Laisamis, the programme of buying animals from the pastoralists took off under the launch organized and supervised by the Government through the Head of State. Finally, in mitigation of the prolonged drought, the Government, as a long term measure, has established the Livestock Emergency Fund (LEF) with an initial capital of Kshs265 million. The money will enable the big ranchers through Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC), to access credit at concessionary rates to purchase livestock for fattening. This credit facility will be processed through AFC."
}