Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 305847,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/305847/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 469,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Kosgei",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Agriculture",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 59,
        "legal_name": "Sally Jepngetich Kosgei",
        "slug": "sally-kosgei"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the Seeds and Plants Varieties (Amendment) Bill, Bill No. 65 of 2011 be read a Second Time. As you may be aware, certified seed is one of the most important inputs in agriculture and must be well managed. The challenges facing the seed industry in Kenya include inadequate coverage of some varieties and plants in seed certification process, lack of comprehensive breeders’ rights and lack of definition of the competent authority on matters of seed certification, among others. Currently, the seed industry is governed by the Seeds and Plants Varieties Act Cap.326 which does not provide for a competent authority. The competent authority, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) is established under Section 3 of the State Corporations Act Cap.446 and Legal Notice No.305 of 18th October, 1996. Furthermore, the law does not provide for self regulation in the seed industry as it is the case in other countries. The amendments proposed in this Bill will address these shortcomings. The amendment of the Seeds and Plants Varieties Amendment Act Cap.326 will ensure that Kenya is within the international protocol. Specifically, the amendments to be introduced cover the following areas: Review of the plant variety protection provisions for conformity with the International Treaty on Plant Variety Protection; the Union for the Protection for New Varieties of Plants, 1991 to which Kenya is party to and to which member countries within Kenya’s trading bloc have acceded to - we have not and that is what we seek to do now; authorization and registration of private seed inspectors and seed testing services to supplement the services"
}