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{
    "id": 319138,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/319138/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 373,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Trade",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in arriving at this Bill, amending the Sugar Act, we did hold a workshop and went through the proposals. I think if properly passed by this House and implemented, we will make the sugar industry more responsive, organized and be able to support the farmer. I want to laud the Minister for bringing this Bill so that it can address the chaotic situation that we have witnessed in the sugar industry. We have witnessed chaos in harvesting, zoning and management of funds. This chaos impacted very negatively on the cane farmer. One third of my constituency grows cane. Sometimes you will find that a farmer who is two kilometres from the factory is charged more for transport than a farmer who is 18 kilometres away from the factory. So, we need some order so that if there are any transport charges, they must be equitable. Most factories have contracted independent transporters but they must also be brought to order. You will find at every level when there is a payment to be made, the transporter is always given priority over the farmer and yet it is the farmer whose commodity is the raw material for the factory. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when we held the workshop we did unanimously agree - and I am sure my friend Bonny Khalwale will bear me out - that an organization called “outgrowers” serves absolutely no purpose to the farmer. We had recommended to the Ministry to abolish outgrowers organizations because they have simply been used to fleece the farmer. For every harvest, a farmer is deducted 15 per cent of his or her income as a retention fund that goes to the outgrowers organisation for services. I can assure you that the outgrowers organization give absolutely no services to"
}