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{
    "id": 349948,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/349948/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 695,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "But the bit that goes to the farmer is so little. So you ask yourself: “Why would the farmer be there producing these raw materials, going to produce sugar in these mills which make billions and billions of shillings and the farmer does not benefit?” Some of the farmers, at the end of the period of 18 months, actually end up with negative balances on their statements. DR is the famous thing we call them in the sugar growing areas. We want sugar mills to be profitable, but we also want the farmer to benefit from this profit, either by getting decent returns on his sugarcane or by getting a way of participation in the shareholding of those firms. Therefore, I would like to encourage the Government to go ahead and write off those debts and make sure that the firms can get modern equipment so that the cost of production can go down. That way, they can be competitive when the safeguard measures expire in 2014. They should be ready to compete internationally because if they are not, they will close down anyway. None of us would like to have the sugar mills close down. We would like them to operate profitably; we would like the farmer to get decent returns from his sugarcane and we would also like those sugar mills to make it possible for the farmer to buy some shares. We are not saying that they must buy a certain percentage but let them have some interest. Let them own; let them feel a sense of ownership in those factories. If they do so, then they will continue to produce sugarcane. They know it will give them decent returns and they also know they will get something out of the dividends by being shareholders in those mills. So, I would like to support this Motion."
}