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"id": 1526809,
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"speaker_name": "The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Developmen",
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"content": "and the House in that area, so that we stick to that and we do not cave in to political pressure that comes in by those who practise whatever practices that mess up with our tea. Mr. Thangw’a, I thank you. On the issue of the ban, first and foremost, let me explain that sometime back, the ban on exportation was lifted for a year. The agreement was that within that year, it would not be necessary to extend it again. Following that discussion, the ban was extended for another one month. We are now at a place where months and the year has passes, but we are still discussing the ban. That is why making a pronouncement and decision on that issue is not a singular decision. It is a decision full of consultancy, including the nut people. If they are able to take up everything we have, then it will not be necessary to open up the market. They would have to take it up. So, give me the next three weeks so that I am able to engage on those issues because they are profound and important. Again, the Chairperson of Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries raised the issue of the coffee sector and the control and quality in the Western, North-Rift and the others. In my view, the future of the coffee sector is largely going to be in those areas that large farms still exist. We know that West-Rift, Bungoma and places like Narok and Kericho now have big farmers who are starting to grow coffee in those sectors and we want to support them. We want to make sure that we support that sector as much as we can. Again, the quality of the tea or coffee goes to husbandry. The taste of the coffee is what determines who buys that coffee. Therefore, it is very difficult to enforce purchase that does not discuss the qualities. The quality determines the price. I would like to see, and we are working on engaging the farmers through the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA). As you say, some of those areas are very new coffee farming areas. However, we are ensuring that our presence is felt. As late as last week, I was engaging Governor Sang in Nandi County, who wants me to go and open coffee factories in Nandi, and I have agreed to do so. In those engagements is when we address the issue of quality and determine how we will deal with it. The only response to quality and price is that when you discuss price, you discuss quality. You never discuss price leaving out the word quality and you never discuss quality without discussing price. One follows the other. That is the way the market is. There is a big future because there is more land in that area. In the traditional coffee growing and tea growing areas, the land division is a problem. They have become such small sizes that the future is doubtful in some of those areas. Even the productivity per acre is another issue we have to deal with. Then on the matter of loans, I want to inform you that the green leaf loans given by the Board are at eight per cent interest. We also encourage that our farmers borrow from the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) because their interest is at 10 per cent. Obviously, when you go to the commercial banks as some farmers do, I could not agree with you more that the interest rates are prohibitive. It is difficult to make money borrowing at those kinds of rates. However, the other way of supporting them is not just by borrowing, but through the inputs that the Government has to put in. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I would like to seek that we understand as a nation and Parliament that there is no country in the world that runs a successful agricultural sector The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}