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{
    "id": 1425889,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1425889/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 243,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mithika Linturi",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 69,
        "legal_name": "Franklin Mithika Linturi",
        "slug": "franklin-linturi"
    },
    "content": " The question I am required to respond to is by Hon. Thang’wa on what we are doing to make the public aware of the role AFC is playing in the agricultural sector or make farmers aware there is money available at low interest rates. Those people who are seriously engaged in farming know the existence of AFC. It has 33 branches in the country, including Kiambu, and is properly branded. You know we cannot go banging and shouting for people to come for money. Anybody who wants money must know where to get it and must have a reason because you cannot be given without a reason. AFC has prudent guidelines on how to advance loans. Any farmers in pressure will always knock on the door of AFC and be financed. I got to know about AFC when I was growing up. That is where my father used to get money to do his coffee or tea. I think AFC is older than you, Mheshimiwa . The reason we have not been keen on drumming a lot of support for people to run to AFC is because of undercapitalization. Even as we sit here, the requests for loans that we have surpass billions. Therefore, we are not able to give. We will not be able to give the five farmers from Kshs500 million that I was asking from Parliament yesterday, but we will give more money to the small-scale farmers. Without mentioning names because of confidentiality, I had a lady who came to my office from Makueni doing very well in mango farming. The value chain of mango requires a lot of support. When you look at what she has done as a lady - although we want to support them all; young men and women in farming - she was asking for around Kshs150 million, which we regret, we did not have. She is an expert in business in the export market. It is a guarantee that, one, she will create employment opportunities there. She has already done so. She will open our market for our mangoes to other parts of the world, the EU market and others. Unfortunately, we are not able to support her. So, I am appealing and I have made a case to Parliament. The President said his focus is to have Kshs10 billion go to the AFC. How I hope we can generate more revenue. I am insisting on generating more revenue so that at least these very critical"
}