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"id": 193402,
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"speaker_name": "Prof. Kamar",
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"legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me an opportunity to contribute to this Budget. I would like to make a few comments. First, I would like to say that the Budget addressed quite a number of issues that touched on the common man. Therefore, to some extent I can say that the Budget was responsive to the needs of this country. The Minister recognised the deep-seated poverty in this country. He raised a number of challenges that need to be addressed. One of the challenges he raised was the issue of inequality in incomes and assets. He did further say that there is need to expand production and create employment. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is only unfitting that when you go down, he does not seem to address the very issues and challenges he raised. He did mention the challenge of low levels of productivity in the agricultural sector, and the need to address the issue. However, he fell short of telling us how he would address it. He did speak on one of the areas. In particular, he raised the issue of achieving industrialisation. He talked of processing plants, which he proposes to pilot. The processing plants 1258 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 18, 2008 he mentioned, most of their products he talked about seem to be export-oriented. My greatest fear is that this country is under a threat, because of food insecurity. If we are going to enable those who can export to do so, then the challenge is going to be even bigger. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I come from Uasin Gishu District. Farmers of Uasin Gishu District have been the feeders of this nation as far as grain is concerned, both maize and wheat. If in the last three years they have not been able to make any profits, and we are not addressing the issue, the issue of food insecurity is going to be more acute than we think. Mr. Speaker, Sir, farmers in Uasin Gishu, and in particular the constituency I represent, which is Eldoret East, changed their direction completely and went into passion fruit production. Although the Minister did not mention anything about the processing of passion fruit, I can assure this House that passion fruit has been exported to Uganda in the last one-and-a- half years. In fact, there is preparation to export the same, in raw form, to the Middle East. Why am I saying this? If we do not address the issue of food security we are going to continue to be beggars, whether we are selling mangoes or passion fruits. Currently, production or passion fruit is raising more money than maize. I, therefore, see our farmers changing completely from crop for food security and going for export. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Minister has to address the two issues. I was very surprised that he did not say that we need to enable our farmers to stop middle-man scenario, where a miller comes in and decides at what price he would buy the produce and also the price of the two killogrammes of"
}