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"id": 194782,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Koech",
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"legal_name": "David Kibet Koech",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to second this very important Motion which deals very seriously with the Kenyan situation today and tomorrow in terms of food reserves. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we, as Kenyans, today feel threatened by the food reserves in our country. What we have in stores may not go up to the end of the year. What is in the farms today is nothing to wait for. We have come from serious devastating effects of post-election violence. As a result of that, there are very few farmers who prepared their land. At this juncture, I would like to sincerely thank the Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, for providing some seed, fertilizers and even assisting in ploughing farms for some farmers. This was a good initiative although very few farmers benefitted. Most farmers, mainly from Rift Valley Province, were also rendered IDPs. The process of returning them home is ongoing, meaning that they have not even started thinking of preparing their farms. So, we are talking about Kenyans who rely on the produce from the farms, yet, nothing is going on, on those farms at the moment. Most of our farmers, apart from the ones who were in IDPs camps, felt insecure in the first three months of this year. Even those who wanted to do farming could not even move to the major towns for fear of being arrested. As a result, most of our farmers, for sure, did not do much. Hon. Members, when you move across the country you can realise what I am talking about. Farms are lying fallow. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, at the moment, we are talking about a country where no major economic activities are taking place. No economic activities going on on our farms. Apart from the devastating effects of post-election violence, we are aware that our farmers, again, have been put at crossroads as a result of the escalating prices of farm inputs. To plough one acre of land, one needs Kshs2,000. It has gone up from Kshs1,200. The cost of fertilizer has gone up to Kshs4,000. Most of us here are farmers, if you calculate the profit margin realised per acre after use the correct fertilizer and seed, and plough the number of times required, it is approximately Kshs4,000. If you divide that by 12 months, we are talking of a farmer making a profit of Kshs300 per month. He is supposed to use that money to feed and educate members of his family. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is need for the Government to cushion the farmers, so that, for sure, farming can be profitable to them. At the end, we are talking about a farmer who has loans, yet he earns a profit of Kshs4,000 per acre. The said farmer cannot pay back the loan. 872 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES May 7, 2008 The price of farm inputs is affecting the farmers of this country very negatively. The real farmers who understand the economics of farming are running away from it. It is high time the Government took the initiative to cushion them. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as speak, again, the weather has not been very good for this country. The heavy rains that we expected to come during March and April were not enough to warrant high yields from our farms. In some parts of this country, even if the farmers had anything to do, for sure, they could not plant because of the drought that they are experiencing. So, we do not expect much from those who have been able to plant as a result of low rains in the country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are asking that the loans owed by the farmers to the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) and the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) be written off. We are not asking for something that has not happened in this country. It has happened before and it has made farmers happy. This is the right time to also make our farmers start smiling from this House. We are requesting that after waiving or writing off the loans, there is also need to empower the AFC and ADC to enable farmers access more loans for future investment. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we applaud the \" Kilimo-Biashara initiative which is going on now in this country. I would like to thank Equity Bank for offering to perform this very noble duty. As we speak, we are aware that most of our farmers still fear going to banks for loans. It will be prudent for the Ministry of Agriculture to be fully in charge of any loans offered to farmers so that it will be easier for the said loans to be recovered as the farmers deliver their produce. So, we would wish that the Ministry of Agriculture takes full charge of this process. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, while the farmers are now going to get the said loans through Equity Bank, we are wondering - and I would like to wonder aloud - whether it is the Ministry of Agriculture or the Ministry of Finance which will be fully in charge of the said process. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, and hon. Members, this is the opportune time to really save the farmers of this country; the people on whom we rely for the future survival of this country. The best thing that we can do is for all of us to rise up and support this very, very noble Motion. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I ask all hon. Members to support this Motion which will empower our farmers. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. With those few remarks, I beg to second the Motion."
}