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{
    "id": 1379746,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1379746/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 142,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tigania West, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) John K Mutunga",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker for the opportunity to contribute to this very important Bill. I would like first of all to thank Hon. Emaase and the Senator who came up with this Bill. The two are doing a great job to this country. Cotton is one of the most important but forgotten value chains in this country. It is forgotten, because we have not been keen at supporting it for a while. Many intervening factors have led to this particular situation as it is right now. Therefore, the Bill could not have come at a better time. The Bill speaks to the development of the entire industry. It speaks to providing for production of cotton in a variety of ways and processing of cotton. It highlights the processing of cotton and is very emphatic on value-addition. It also highlights products that come from the cotton crop, marketing and distribution of cotton and cotton products. Looking at aspects of the value chain such as production, many Kenyans living in medium and low altitudes would benefit immensely if they engaged in cotton production. However, such benefits are not accruable if they produced cotton and they did not know where to take it. I will be talking about that in a moment. Many Kenyans would engage in cotton processing, which has huge opportunities. First, it would engage many people in terms of employment. Secondly, it would lead to value-addition of the products and open up opportunities for Kenya to sell our products in other parts of the world. It would bring in the very scarce foreign currency. Cotton is a huge contributor to the development of our country. As brought out in the Bill, establishing the Cotton Industry Board is key. I want to specifically recognise the fact that it is being called the Cotton Industry Board and not the Cotton Production Regulatory Board. In this case, the Board encompasses almost everything that happens within that particular value chain. Therefore, it provides for the framework for cotton farming such as identification of areas where cotton will be produced, approaches that will be used in cotton production, engagement of different producers of cotton and promotion of cotton production. It will also look at value-addition in the cotton industry, which starts right from the farm, and includes activities such as producing good lint or good cotton products from the farm, separation of contaminants from the lint at the ginnery level, and activities that go on in textile milling and spinning so that we can produce apparels and clothes. Cotton is a key crop in this country. The Bill speaks about high income generation through cotton farming and trading. Cotton manufacturing also leads to engagement of our people. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
}