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{
    "id": 1569678,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1569678/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 146,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Buuri, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Mugambi Rindikiri",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this Bill. For a long time, when we were growing up, we used to see agricultural extension officers. We used to see them advising farmers on the best farming practices, how to prepare the fields for planting, and how to prepare even the animals on various stages of growth. Our economy relies entirely on agriculture. To be very specific, we export coffee, tea, and we are now exporting livestock products. For a long time, our farmers have been left alone after the withdrawal of many of these extension officers. Farmers need education on best practices on agriculture. Agriculture is the main source of income for our people in this country. We need to ensure that agriculture and livestock sustains itself because of the great role it plays in the economy of this country. After devolution there was a division of responsibilities, with the national Government taking up the responsibility of policy, and the county government taking up implementation. This Bill is establishing a clear relationship on how the national Government will operate and coordinate with the county government. Our farmers need training and education now particularly, because there is a lot of change in the climate. Areas that were not productive before are now turning to become important areas of agricultural production. We should not leave our farmers behind with the ongoing changes in climate and in soil conditions. We need to start educating our farmers on the best farming practices. Therefore, the responsibility of the agricultural extension officers is very important. Everywhere in the world right now, farming requires advanced technologies. We have seen best practices linking up farmers with the best technologies to enable them do the best farming. These extension officers will play a very great role in ensuring there is transfer of technology. This is because they have the capacity of learning and disseminating the knowledge on technology transfer. The extension officers play a very great role in linking our farmers to various farm inputs and markets. We have seen many young people and our gracious women requiring a lot of empowerment in farming. These people are asking for farm inputs. They are also asking for markets. There is nobody to advise them on what to do and where to go. I believe that with extension officers, farmers will get all this knowledge and be able to execute their responsibilities. We need to collect a lot of data. Hon. Deputy Speaker, remember you brought a matter on Cancer in this Parliament, which is associated with a lot of chemicals being used in farms in the rural areas. There is nobody who is focused to know what kind of information farmers have, what kind of problems farmers are facing, or what kind of chemicals are being used for a particular area. We, therefore, believe that if the agricultural extension officers are there, they will collect vital information on soil textures, and on areas that are affected by many diseases associated with chemicals that are being used. We believe that agricultural extension officers can collect information on the changing trends in agriculture for specific areas. It is very important, particularly now, that we encourage our young people in the rural areas to form cooperatives and self-help groups. I believe the agricultural extension officers are in a better place to assist these farmers form these groups. These groups have now been left to Members of Parliament, yet these are very technical areas. The agricultural extension officers are the people who can sit down with farmers, tell them what kind of groups they need to form, where to go, and where to register. They are not only confined to the actual agriculture, but they can also offer social information to our farmers. 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."
}