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"speaker_name": "Dr. Kones",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I also rise to support this Motion on the Vote of the Ministry of Agriculture. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we all know the importance of the Ministry and I really do not want to dwell so much on it. Many hon. Members have talked much about it. The Ministry is very critical for the survival of any country. Indeed, the security of any country is dependent on it food security situation. This Ministry is very critical in that aspect. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, to date, a very good percentage of our foreign exchange is from agriculture. I believe it still ranges between 20 per cent to 25 per cent or our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Therefore, it means that, as a country and as a Government, October 28, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3063 we must attach a lot of emphasis when it comes to resource allocation to this Ministry. It is a Ministry that also creates job opportunities for our youth. However, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we realize that, over the past years, performance in the sector has been wanting to some extent, particularly on the food security aspect. If the trend continues, we will become more food insecure and the Ministry must put in place very stringent measures to ensure that this trend is reversed. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have said that if the country is food insecure, then the general security of the country will be in danger. So, I really want the Ministry to take very specific and elaborate measures to ensure that we reverse this trend. I come from a tea growing area and people have gone into tea growing at the expense of growing food crops, so much that year in, year out, there has been a food deficit in my area. I think this is a situation where the Ministry must take a lead in educating the farmers that we need to balance between food crops and cash crops, so that we do not overdo one thing. Having mentioned tea, we all know the challenges that, that subsector is facing. There was a Question this afternoon on coffee, and I think the challenges being faced by coffee farmers are the same as the ones being faced by tea farmers. I know the Ministry recently made an attempt to gazette some new rules on tea growing. I believe that, that is far short of our expectations in as far as the challenges facing the tea sector are concerned. We still need to effect very radical changes in the tea sector, particularly. My view is that most of the problems that we face in the tea sector are in the marketing chain, because the greatest percentage of tea proceeds goes to middlemen and brokers, and something in the region of 15 per cent is what goes to the farmers. I think, we should shorten the marketing chain. I have already given a notice of Motion to amend some of the sections in the Tea Act, so that we treat tea like any other business. Tea is a cash crop; it is not a food crop. If tea, at some point, is not giving you any cash as a farmer, then the farmer must be given an opportunity to opt for any other business that gives him or her profit. So, some of these archaic rules in the Tea Act that make it illegal to uproot tea bushes when it is no longer profitable must be changed. These rules, which make it mandatory that we can only sell our tea through the Tea Auction, I believe also cause one of the problems that need to be addressed. We need to allow our factories to be independent, and to look for own markets. We need to empower them to look for their own market and sell their produce directly from the factories. So, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I believe that the Ministry is going to support my Motion; I am happy to note that we have seen some positive moves, or attempts being made by the Ministry to address some of these challenges but we still need to do more. Another area which the Ministry needs to look at very critically is the quality of seeds. Over a number of years, the quality of seeds that we get, particularly in the South Rift, which I can talk about with authority, have been very poor. So, this is an area that the Ministry needs to look into and find out what happens at the Kenya Seed Company. In the past, it had been rated to be one of the best companies for producing quality seeds, but looking at what has happened over the past five or so years, the quality of seeds has been going down, and it is an area that the Ministry needs to look into critically. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, again, when it comes to extension services, I think I can almost say they have collapsed in the country. I do not see Agricultural Extension Officers visiting farmers any more. So, we still need to look at a more co-ordinated way of intensifying theseservices. I know there is under-staffing which is common in most of the Government Ministries but I believe this should be addressed if we are serious about food security in this country and also if we are very keen on promoting agriculture. We also need to look at what our 3064 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 28, 2008 policies are at the national level because we want this Ministry to also contribute to Vision 2030 which the Government is pursuing. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some years ago, maybe about ten years ago, I worked in the Ministry as an Economist. When I visited it recently, I realised that there is a very acute shortage of Economists and Planners who are supposed to assist the agricultural officers in formulating proper policies for the Ministry. I believe probably this is one area that needs to be looked at because without proper policy formulation at the national level, which triggers down to the lower level, then you might just end up putting in funds year in, year out and the outcome is minimal. However, this Ministry is very critical. I also want to agree with the Minister that the level of funding to the Ministry slightly falls below what is expected. I can see the Minister pointing at the clock and I think it is time. I beg to support. Thank you."
}