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{
"id": 182165,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/182165/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Chachu",
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"speaker": {
"id": 18,
"legal_name": "Francis Chachu Ganya",
"slug": "francis-ganya"
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I stand to support the Vote of the Ministry of Agriculture. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the policies that were exposed by the Minister were quite innovative and also forward looking. In particular, I am impressed by the strategies in the policy that tries to make this country food secure. It is very encouraging to see that there are policies embedded within the sector that aim at supporting our farmers by increasing their income and also capacity building largely through extension services. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, coming from an arid district, I appreciate the Ministry's policy of investing in marginalised areas. They are investing in dry land farming whether through rainfed agriculture or irrigation. If we have to address food insecurity in this country, we have to address the problems of these areas that are food insecure. These areas are always prone to drought. As a country, we use so much money during drought to feed our population in those marginalised areas. I urge the Ministry to go the extra mile and come with a sector which is devoted to dry land farming. We can learn from Israel and many other countries in the world. There are countries with very dry environments like ours but they have managed to make their population food secure. There is a lot we can learn from these countries and through that, I think we can make some progress in making Kenya not only food sufficient but also have food surplus to even export to other countries in the region. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we can invest in traditional food crops that are well adapted to these areas. These are foods such are sorghum, millet and others. These foods have traditionally done so well in the so called low potential areas. I encourage the Ministry to pilot this. Let us not be afraid to pilot it. This is a lesson that we can learn and move on. If the pilot projects in the desert areas may not work, that is not a problem. We can learn from that and through the pilot projects, we can come up with very innovative strategies to make these marginal areas food secure. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if we were to be innovative and make this country food secure, the budget of Kshs13.1 billion is not sufficient. I think food security is one of the most important thing that a sovereign nation which wants to protect its borders has to invest in. I strongly urge the Government to increase the budget for this Ministry to a reasonable level that can cope up with the kind of strategies and policies that the Ministry wants to implement. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am also encouraged to see that even all the new districts which were created before the General Election, including my district; Chalbi District, are well captured in the allocations. That has not been true for a number of Ministries. I have been keenly looking at the allocations to our district and I am really encouraged to say that they have October 28, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3059 been well captured by this Ministry. However, I wish the Ministry would take the bull by the horns and even invest in a district like mine. It is largely part of the larger Chalbi Desert. I am sure if the Ministry can invest in some of those drought prone and difficult areas, that is where we can learn and come up with the necessary strategies and approaches to make this country food secure. I really hope, in next year's Budget, Chalbi District which is part of Chalbi Desert, will be well captured. Some of the pilot programmes can be undertaken by investing in rain water harvesting because we receive good rain. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I urge the Ministry to come up with an integrated food policy strategy. I think for us to be food secure, it is more than just crop production or farming. Let us look at issues of livestock production by working with other Ministries. We should also look at fishing by working with other Ministries. For instance, in northern Kenya--- The larger Lake Turkana is in northern Kenya. It is in Marsabit District in particular, but goes all the way to Lodwar and other areas. Those are the areas that are so much insecure in terms of food. They are the areas that are always prone to drought. We should invest in fishing and livestock, as much as we invest in rain-fed agriculture in those areas. Let us have an integrated policy approach by working with other Ministries to make our country food secure. We will only make Kenya food secure if we invest in those marginalised areas that are seen as a liability to this nation. If we look at the potential that they have and invest in fishing in Lake Turkana, livestock and agriculture, maybe, those areas will have much to contribute to this nation's economy. With those few remarks, I support the Motion."
}