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"id": 1489993,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale",
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"id": 170,
"legal_name": "Bonny Khalwale",
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"content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, sugarcane farmer’s organizations in the name of Mumias Sugar Company Out-growers Organization, (MOCO), the Nzoia Sugar Company Out-growers Organization (NOCO) and all other out-grower’s factories, have collapsed back home because of the challenge of funding. Now, with five per cent available, if the people in Mumias can hear me, through this law, we are going to help you to revive MOCO, which was the lifeline to farmers. There is the issue of quality, safety, and health control measures. The law has demanded that all sugar millers and importers shall ensure that all sugar produced locally or imported into the country meets the safety and quality standards as set out by the body responsible for setting up standards. The important issue of sugarcane pricing has been a nightmare. As I have said before, sugar factories had been given a blank cheque. They would choose to pay you this much per ton and some of our poor farmers are not as highly educated, enabled, or connected to be able to challenge the pricing. Now, this is going to be taken care of by this committee, which will ensure that it has representation from the millers and farmers to ensure that our prices are not exaggerated. The main objective of this committee will be to review the sugarcane prices in consultation with the Sugar Research and Training Institute and provide a mechanism that remunerates farmers for other products delivered from the processing of the cane. What do we mean here? Farmers are hitherto only compensated based on the tonnage of the sugar that they deliver. Now, with this law, the other products that come from cogeneration will also enable farmers to benefit from it.To allow the distinguished Senators from Nandi County and Tana River County to give their input, I want to conclude, and emphasize the issue of the catchment area. The First Schedule talks about catchment areas. Allow me to speak to the catchment area where I practice as a farmer. My catchment area is the Lower Western. The Lower Western catchment area comprises Busia, Kakamega, Siaya, and Vihiga Counties. What this means, dear farmers back home in this catchment area is that your fears that free market economy would not be exercised in the sugar industry have been put to rest. It means once you are in the lower Western Catchment area of Busia, Kakamega, Siaya, and Vihiga Counties, you are free to sell your sugarcane to Mumia’s Sugar Company, West Kenya Sugar Company, and Butali Sugar Company. In so doing, dear farmer, you are free to take your cane to any of these companies depending on who is paying you the highest, who gives you the harvesting permit fastest or who pays you in the shortest time possible after you have delivered your cane. So, just like I normally tell farmers back home, I want this law to spoil our farmers. When a Muhindi comes into your compound with his pickup wanting to buy your cane, because you are spoilt for choice, dear farmer, do not come out of your hut quickly. Let them sit there waiting for you. Send your son to tell him that daddy is taking a cup of porridge. When you come out, you tell him that you are too busy and you are The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}