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"id": 250784,
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"content": "927 Act in place, a number of regulatory activities would have taken place. Our farmers would have been happy. The Government would have seen it fit to come and help as necessary. It is said that over 400,000 hectares of land was under cotton cultivation during the height of the textile industry activity in this country. The cotton production potential in this country is over 600,000 hectares of land. This advantage enjoyed by Kenya, in terms of good land for cotton growing, must be exploited. We are proposing that we will see more free education to our people as we develop incomes in the industry further. Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Government because, even before this Bill is debated and passed, it took the initiative to put Kshs200 million in the current financial year to jumpstart the revival of the cotton industry. I am, however, a little bit disappointed that this fund is trying to grope in the dark to see where it can be applied to be extremely effective for the requirements of our country in the cotton industry. There is no legal instrument, like the Cotton Act we are talking about, to direct the use of this money. At the moment, the Government is forming apex bodies to try and use this money. This money is primarily required to give farmers the right kind of cotton seed. If we do not have the right kind of cotton seed, we shall have trees growing in the name of cotton. It will not be worth selling. This fund ought to be arrested quite quickly with the passing of this Bill so that it can be utilised strongly and better for the benefit of our farmers. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, a number of bodies campaign to try and improve the production of cotton in this country. The formation of Kenya Ginners Association (KGA), which rescued the collapse of ginneries in this country, had tried and held meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture in order to promote cotton. The Cotton Farmers Development Forum (CFDF) and other stakeholders have also done some work. So, this is a happy day for this Bill to be debated and passed by this House. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the proposed Bill, there is need to add the Cotton Development Fund which the Mover has mentioned. The Cotton Development Fund will act in many ways in the Ministry to help so many things, like the Community Development Trust Fund (CDTF) in the Ministry of Planning and National Development, and the Tourist Transport Development Fund is doing in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. Being a commodity that will compete against other commodities in the market, there is need for the Government to have a cushioning stabilisation mechanism, where the prices can be stabilised somewhat, such that we do not lose the steam of the cotton having been grown and then the farmers are exposed to price fluctuations like has happened in the past. This country is a bit notorious in leaving the farmers to fight for themselves with the rest of the powerful market which produces cotton. Most other countries support their products. They subsidise them deliberately. This is allowed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) so that, so long as this commodity helps your people, you have the right, as a country, to put in some price stabilisation so that your people do not lose hope. Once the momentum is lost, it cannot come back. For instance, we have been trying since 1996 to revive the cotton industry. It has not been easy because it was allowed to fall freely; what is called free fall. It is very difficult to rescue a free- falling object. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker Sir, the CDF money could also be used the way we do it at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), whereby, when prices are so bad and people are not buying cotton, the Government buys the cotton and keeps it until prices reach a point where they can be negotiated. All those are mechanisms which I know my colleagues will talk about. I know the suitability of cotton is so crucial that we really need to do our best, so as to sustain the crop and see how we can revive the industry. The raw materials have to be in place for us to fund the industries. The fund I am talking about could be used for buying machines to process cotton. 928"
}