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{
"id": 1463612,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463612/?format=api",
"text_counter": 525,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Matayos, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Geoffrey Odanga",
"speaker": null,
"content": "There is an agriculture policy, but I think it could be very critical that we develop a sugarcane development policy separately, so that we can address and help both farmers and millers. We want to create a balance where millers can make profit out of their milling and farmers also can make profit out of their farming. Many farmers use many acres of their land to plant that crop, meaning that they are left with very little for food production. A policy needs to be developed to ensure that farmers reap the maximum so that they can meet their food requirements. Hon. Temporary Speaker, one of them is taking up the new varieties of sugarcane. There are several new varieties. Last week, I was talking to Dr. Omondi, the head of KARLO Kisumu, and he was telling me that sugarcane can be grown in many parts of this country. If research is done, there are various and different varieties of sugarcane that can be grown in different parts of the country. There are areas where sugarcane can be grown and harvested at 8 months. There are varieties that have already been developed and, in some areas, they can take 10 months. He told me that in areas like Busia, there is a variety that can take up to 13 to 14 months to harvest. Therefore, we need to invest heavily in research. It is important to develop the policy so that research is given a lot of prominence in this whole business. We must ensure that imports are limited. This is addressed in the Bill that is before the House. Import of sugarcane and sugar itself needs to be limited to the deficit. Currently, because the millers carry the day, we have seen situations where the farmers’ sugarcane around the millers in Kenya, for instance, are left over-growing and over-maturing in the farms, and the millers go for sugarcane from the neighbouring countries. This leaves farmers with their sugarcane that goes for even 30 months before it is harvested. This becomes a big problem. The same applies for imports. It was in the 12th Parliament that we heard of the importation of contaminated sugar. This is done by traders who do not care about the Kenyan people. The Bill provides that we need to have a policy on all sugarcane and sugar that is imported to ensure that we only import when we have a deficit. That deficit has to be determined before any imports are done. On the issue of zoning, in one of my master’s degrees, I researched about sugarcane farming and management in Nzoia and Mumias. One thing that came out clearly is that we need to have a policy on the issue of zoning. This is because there are areas like Trans Mara where a lot of sugarcane is on the farm, but the miller there do not want the other millers from outside to come and take that sugarcane. This is despite the fact that the millers from outside have the ability to crush, while that particular miller cannot. Therefore, we need a serious policy to address such issues going forward. Hon. Temporary Speaker, the sensitisation of the Kenyan people, particularly the farmers, is very important. They really need to be informed of the new varieties of sugarcane. Quite a number of farmers do not know about them. They need to be sensitised and supported. To get that support, a policy needs to be developed. Previously, the farmers who were unable to raise funds to finance their farming were supported by the millers, and then the amount of money given would be deducted when the harvest is done. Hon. Temporary Speaker, a lot needs to be done, especially in the area of research. At the moment, all research institutions have been lumped up together and I think that is a heavy task for KARLO alone. We need to have a sugarcane research foundation, coffee research and institutions for other crops like it was previously, so that seriousness is put into research. We also need to budget for it in this House so that we can allocate enough funding. If we do not do that, we will be taking this country to the dogs. With those remarks, I support. 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."
}