HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 244527,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/244527/?format=api",
"text_counter": 98,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Khamisi",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 246,
"legal_name": "Joseph Matano Khamisi",
"slug": "joseph-khamisi"
},
"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT, aware that cashew nut farming is an important economic activity at the Coast; considering the fact that farmers are facing a lot of problems due to lack of comprehensive legislation to regulate farming, processing and marketing of the product; cognizant of the fact that farmers continue to destroy cashew nut trees because of low prices and frustrations as a result of infiltration into the industry by unscrupulous middlemen, this House do grant leave to introduce a Bill for an Act of Parliament entitled The Cashew Nut Development Bill to streamline the industry and provide economic safeguards to farmers in the region. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is a very straightforward Motion. What it seeks to do is to merely provide legislation that will govern the production, processing and marketing of this very important crop. Cashew nut is among the oldest cash crops in the country. It was introduced in this country by the Portuguese way back in the 16th Century. Informal production in Kilifi District started in 1930 in a very small way. At Independence production, had reached 400 tonnes of cashew nuts. In 1964, one year after Independence, the Government took over the business of cashew nut production through the Agricultural Produce and Marketing Board. Later, the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC), the Industrial Development Bank (IDB) and the Kilifi District Co-operative Union (KDCU) joined the Board as members of the Kilifi Cashew Nut Limited. This factory went into production for the first time in August, 1975. Since then there has been a steady increase in cashew nut production from 1,500 tonnes to nearly 3,000 tonnes. Much of this produce has found its way to India, North America, Japan, the Middle East, Europe and Australia. However, the production of cashew nuts has not been governed by any legislation whatsoever. It is because of this that there has not been any proper management of the crop. This is the reason why production has declined from 36,000 hectares to 27,000 hectares. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is an urgent need for legislation because this is an important crop for the people of Coast Province. At the peak of production, over from cashew nut production at the coast. The danger about non-legislation is that the sector is controlled by middlemen who fleece the local farmers by negotiating very low prices. Three years ago, the Ministry of Agriculture held meetings with stakeholders who included farmers, Government officials and so on. It was decided, at that time, that legislation was necessary for this crop to take off the same way coffee, tea and sugarcane have done in other parts of this country. However, I have not seen any indication from the Ministry of Agriculture of any interest to formulate legislation to govern this product. This is a labour intensive industry that creates employment, especially for the rural women. It is no different from tea or coffee which also earn July 5, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1813 this country a lot of money in terms of foreign exchange."
}