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{
"id": 178583,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/178583/?format=api",
"text_counter": 343,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Gumo",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Regional Development Authorities",
"speaker": {
"id": 160,
"legal_name": "Fredrick fidelis Omulo Gumo",
"slug": "fred-gumo"
},
"content": " Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me a chance to speak on this matter. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Kenya is in a very bad state at the moment. This year has been a very bad year. Crop production has not been as good as it was expected. It was very early in the year when we started having a shortage of maize. By this time, we would be having a lot of maize and there would be no problem at all. But I am surprised that when we have a problem at this time in November, by the time we get to January, February and March, what will happen to our people? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think it is high time we, as the Government, made a decision. What is happening to farmers - and I happen to be one of the farmers--- Farmers today are subsidizing wananchi. They are paying more to produce a bag of maize than what they are paid. In fact, today, businessmen who buy maize from farmers make a lot of money than the farmers themselves. Very soon, unless we decide to subsidize farmers, we are going to have bigger problems than what you people are talking about. The other day, I was reading something about Zambia. They had the same problems sometimes back. Today, Zambia is having more maize and food and they are now exporting it. It is just because they are being subsidized. Fertilisers are being subsidized. The price of fertiliser now in the market is Kshs6,000 a bag. Last year, it was Ksh4,000. The price of one drum of diesel is Kshs22,000; that is about Kshs102 per litre. How do you expect a farmer to manage that? It is not possible at all. So, unless we are ready to pay those farmers to produce maize, that is not going to happen. Very soon, me, as one of the farmers, will decide to reduce my production because I am not going to subsidize Kenyans. The Government must be prepared to do that. Otherwise, we are going to face bigger problems than what we are facing now. It is just November. I am lucky, at least, I can keep a few bags for myself and my many children. I might supply a few Members of Parliament who are my friends with a few bags. But the rest of the citizens are going to suffer. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we must decide. The Minister has talked very often of his intention to import fertilizers at a competitive price. Well, even if he imports that fertilizer and says: \"One bag of fertilizer is going to cost Kshs4,000, it is still not enough. The Government must be prepared to pay more for the fertilizer and sell it to the farmers at a subsidized price. Mheshimiwa Okemo talked about sugar. He said that Mumias Sugar had made a profit of nearly Kshs3 billion. I do not believe it because sugar farmers are not making any money. They 3648 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 26, 2008 have been squeezed so much that, that profit that should have gone to the farmers is going to the shareholders. That is what is happening. You just forced my friend out there when he said that some people have been given allocations to buy maize from the National Cereals and Produce Board; people who are not even farmers! If you are not a farmer and you are allocated 25,000 bags of maize, what for? You do not even have a store for it. You do not even know where to take that maize, and you have been allocated 25,000 bags. To sell it where and you are not a miller? Just because you want to make a bit of money? That must stop."
}