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{
    "id": 1546339,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1546339/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 108,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Alego Usonga, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Samuel Atandi",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "quality, increased crop yields and a reduction in environmental harm caused by the use of substandard fertilisers; recalling that the country has the potential to produce fertiliser that could meet the country’s domestic demand and also supply the regional market; further recognising that there is need for the Government to work with local producers to develop high quality fertiliser tailored to the needs of Kenyan farmers and crops; now, therefore, this House resolves that the national Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, supports and promotes local fertiliser manufacturing industries by investing in research and development to bolster the domestic fertiliser manufacturing sector. Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to move this Motion. The significance of fertiliser in this economy can no longer be gainsaid. As you are aware, to date, our economy is stabilising on the back of agricultural performance, which relies heavily on fertiliser subsidy. As you are aware, since the Kenya Kwanza regime took over power, fertiliser subsidy is one of the most significant items it has done that has stabilised the agricultural sector. Today, it contributes significantly to the growth of our economy. The sector has been importing a lot of fertilisers. As of last year, the economy imported about two million tonnes of fertiliser from outside the country. This is not very good for our economy. The reason we import more fertiliser is because our economy cannot produce enough to support our farmers. If establish fertiliser manufacturing industries and encourage private investors to start similar industries, it will be very good for us. As you are aware, manufacturing is one of the sectors we need to promote so that our economy can grow. One of the things that hinder investment in this sector is the heavy taxes that are applied to the manufacturing sector. One of the taxes that is stopping the sector from advancing is the recently increased Income Tax. Income Tax is a problem because it is causing many manufacturers to exit this sector for other sectors. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I have thought about this Motion and one of the things we need to do going forward is to reduce the taxes that relate to the manufacturing sector to encourage many investors who may be interested in this sector to come onboard. It is interesting to note that in the East African region, we have very few companies that are involved in this sector. Uganda has about eight companies while Tanzania has about 11. These are the companies that produce fertilisers for the entire region, and they are unable to meet the East African market needs. In countries like South Africa, there are many manufacturing companies. They have more than 100 companies. That is why their economy is stable and they are even able to export fertilisers. If we support this sector the way we should, we will be able to export to the East and Central African market. Some of the markets in the Central African region hardly have any manufacturing companies that produce fertilisers. This focus is very important because agriculture remains the backbone of most economies, including the emerging ones that still rely on agriculture. This is something Kenya can take advantage of. If we have a very good take off, it is a sector that is still very green. All that the Government needs to do is to, first, invest in research. Most of the fertilisers that are imported into the country have not been properly researched on. That is why some of them do not help us in yielding good results since they are not aligned to the climatic conditions of our country. They also do not understand the soil texture of our country. Therefore, most of the imported fertilisers do not give the expected results. In terms of quality, sometimes when you import things from other countries, you may not be certain about the quality of those commodities. However, when you have companies that are domiciled here, you will regulate the quality of their products and ensure that what is coming out of those factories is tailored for our needs. 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."
}