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{
    "id": 1379109,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1379109/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 215,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Linturi",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 69,
        "legal_name": "Franklin Mithika Linturi",
        "slug": "franklin-linturi"
    },
    "content": " Sen. Kavindu Muthama was not here when I answered the question. However, the question was asked by Sen. Wambua and a supplementary question was from Munyi Mundigi. We are aware of the pain that our farmers go through to produce mangoes and avocadoes. One of the long-terms plans that we have, which I did not talk about, is that with this Aggregation and Industrial Parks that we are talking about, we will be able to aggregate. They are being equipped with cold rooms to ensure value addition for us to prolong the shelf life of our products. Therefore, if we were to prolong shelf life and add value, we will be able to create more value because we will be able to squeeze oil from avocado or from whatever it is. That is work in progress and everybody knows that. Also, before you came in, I talked about that issue of aggregation and I also brought the issue of having classified some of these commodities as strategic food reserves so that, we are able now to have budgets to off take. The other thing I did not mention is on new markets. We have opened new markets and I talked about Israel. We have an opportunity there but you know what is happening there. I did not mention that we have procured other new markets in India. We flagged off the first consignment like two months ago for avocado to India. So, that is another market that we have opened for avocado or these agricultural crops. Right now, the problem is that we do not have enforcement officers to check on the quality of what we have been producing. That is why we had a serious problem with the European Union (EU) market because of unscrupulous and unfaithful traders that were harvesting immature fruits. This caused us a lot of problems. I appreciate the AFA for moving into action to enforce the regulations so that these other farmers do not spoil our market. Once we are done with aggregation value addition within the county aggregation parks, that problem will be half solved. The new administration is adopting a new economic policy. The ambassadors have targets that includes how they source for markets for our products outside the country. There is the general shift to economic diplomacy. We will create more markets in the future. From where I sit, we have no capacity to feed the world. I once went to a conference, where the whole world was seated to discuss about the future of food in the country. Last week, I had Ministers from the East and Central of this region. We discussed food situation in the region. The other week, I had the African Union (AU). We are the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard Services,Senate."
}