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{
    "id": 1475528,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1475528/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 309,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kigumo, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Joseph Munyoro",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "We are also happy because this Bill brings up the issue of direct selling. Previously, coffee was only sold through an auction. Direct selling means that you can go out and look for a buyer. If you get a buyer with better prices, then you can sell your coffee at the price that you think would be beneficial to you. On the issue of having a fixed percentage of fees in terms of the 2 per cent that the Bill seeks to introduce, this will ensure that every farmer knows the amount of money that they will get. We are happy that this Bill proposes that coffee can only change hands once the farmer has the money in their account. In the current circumstances, after the farmers harvest the coffee, it is collected at the factory. Once they deliver it, that is it. They have to wait for millennia so that they can know whether their coffee was a good grade and how much it was sold. It changes hands without the farmers' input. This Bill is trying to cure that nuisance, and we support that. Previously, the money that the farmer got was determined by the amount of money that the societies deducted. There has been no law that requires a society to give a farmer a specific amount of money. So, the farmer ends up receiving what remains after all the costs have been deducted, including those unplanned loans that societies take. This is very important because you cannot have societies that are unregulated. They decide the amount to charge the farmer, get loans without the farmer's contribution, and pay interest rates that are not agreed with the farmer. Then, the balance, or lack thereof, is what the farmer is supposed to get. This should be looked into. Lastly, having a Coffee Research Institute will ensure that farmers and even young Kenyans are encouraged to plant coffee because it is a plant that they know will have a return. The foreign exchange that we earn through coffee sales will help this Government. It is also very important to have a better grade of the coffee tree so that each person can plant what is suitable for their region, and get better output for their coffee. Having that research institute will encourage more people to plant coffee because we are sure that the coffee output per crop will increase from the current 2 kgs to about 5 kgs. That is possible. The more returns the farmer gets, the more it will be encouraging to other farmers. I support the Bill so that our Kenyan coffee farmers can get their rightful dues from their farming. I thank you."
}