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{
    "id": 1569750,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1569750/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 218,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mandera West, UDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Yusuf Adan",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I stand to support this Bill. Extension officers are key to our farming systems. I got the opportunity to work as an extension officer for a very long time. In the olden days, food production was adequate because the extension officers were in place and farmers were being properly guided. We had something called training and visit. The extension officers, after 14 days, are brought together and trained on all the new technologies. They are equipped with new equipment that is required and in the next 14 days, they go farm to farm to train farmers. It is like a farmer school, where the extension officers are the teachers. In cases like now, the extension officers are either absent or they are just too few and they are demoralised because they are not doing much. Hon. Temporary Speaker, farmers are like students in a classroom with no teacher. What can we expect in terms of their performance? Just as students who attend class throughout the year are evaluated at the end, farmers who have not received proper guidance will not achieve the desired results. Many farmers continue to operate as they have for generations without adapting to modern practices. In this day and age, various new technologies are available, and it is crucial that farmers are updated by extension officers. Unfortunately, since the devolution of functions, extension services have not been prioritised as they should be. To ensure food security and an adequate food supply for ourselves, we must adopt current farming techniques. Otherwise, with a growing population and more mouths to feed, if extension services remain lacking and farmers continue using outdated methods, we cannot expect sufficient food production in the country. A nation where citizens are hungry is akin to slavery. When people are desperate for food, they may resort to extreme measures, including undermining their own country or migrating, which results in a loss of labour. Therefore, extension services must be given the priority they require. Currently, many individuals lack qualifications because there are no checks and balances in place. They fill the vacuum left by the shortage of trained extension officers, pretending to be qualified. This misleads farmers into believing these individuals are 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."
}