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{
    "id": 1382568,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1382568/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 64,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Alego Usonga, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Samuel Atandi",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to make my contributions. I thank Hon. Mary Emaase for coming up with this Bill. As most of my colleagues have pointed out, the cotton sector for many years was very instrumental in our foreign exchange earnings. Cotton is one of the cash crops that is grown across the country: from North Eastern to Nyanza, Central, Rift Valley and the Coast. When I was growing up, cotton was the biggest cash crop in our household. My late father was one of the biggest cotton farmers in our region. When my father started growing cotton, loan facilities were available from the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC). We used the facility to invest in cotton farming. My brothers and I went to school because of cotton farming. In my view, this is one cash crop that this country has really lost. In fact, this Bill should have come from the Government and not private Members. The Bill is here to revitalise the cotton sector, and has very many important chapters which I wanted to comment on. One of them is the fact that it is giving county governments the biggest role in cotton farming. As you are aware, agriculture is devolved, and we can never legislate on it without the input of county governments. The role of county governments in this Bill is prominent. Most county governments are moribund; they are doing nothing; and the fact that this Bill outlines what their role will be, is something which I appreciate. The Bill shows county governments what to do by forming groups up to the ward level and registering farmers and SACCOs. Serious farming cannot succeed if farmers are not organised. This Bill seeks to organise farmers into SACCOs and groups so that they can be involved in progressive farming that would help in giving the focus that is needed for cotton. The Bill also seeks to make it easy for investors who want to engage in the processing of cotton to be licensed. County governments have been given the mandate to license processors, and this is going to be very important. In some areas like where I come from in Siaya, we are cotton farmers yet we do not have any processor. This makes it very difficult for our farmers because they have to transport their cotton all the way to Thika where the factories are situated. The fact that this Bill has identified the licensing of cotton processors is something that I appreciate. The formation of the board that will strictly be involved in supervising the cotton business is also very important here. Right now, cotton matters are being handled by a parastatal known as AFA which does not have a network at the grassroots because it is based in Nairobi. It is not putting much effort into cash crop farming, but is more concerned with food crops. As a country, we are losing on this very important crop. India is one of the countries that has developed its textile industry because their cotton sector is very advanced. Alongside this very important Bill, we must decide on whether we will continue to rely on cheap imported clothes from Turkey and all the other cheap countries. It is something that the country must decide on. Parliament must also play a role if we are to revitalise our cotton sector and industry. We cannot only love clothes from China and Turkey but also, ours. If you ask Members of this House to stand up, everybody is wearing clothes from China and Turkey yet we are interested in growing our cotton, textile sector and our foreign exchange. Our shilling has been weakening against all foreign currencies because we have allowed this country to import everything including things that we can even get from our cotton 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"
}