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{
    "id": 381600,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/381600/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 97,
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    "content": "So, livestock has always been the bastard child in that area, that is, playing a second fiddle role to agriculture. A time has come, therefore, as most Senators have contributed today, because of the economic importance of livestock where there is a lot of demand for meat in the Middle East. Farming communities in Argentina have always been known to be big producers, but populations have increased all over the work and Argentina cannot provide everybody with the meat that is required. So, people are looking for meat and livestock products from elsewhere. We are well placed in Kenya because we have a comparative advantage in two areas. We have marginal areas like in the northern Kenya where land is plentiful. We have more intensive areas for livestock production particularly for milk in the highlands. We should make effective use of both. We should not concentrate too much or over-concentrate on this intensive production areas of the highlands, but also look at the pastoral areas, knowing very well that eventually there will be encroachment in that land. We had assumed that the water table was not too far; you just scrap and you reach the water. It is very easy to concentrate on one thing. If you are going to continue for some time, provide water. Through irrigation, bore-holing and dams, massive projects can be rolled out where the State plays its role at a factor input provider. The State should provide water through irrigation, damming, et cetera, to that area. Then the livestock will need to roam too much. At the moment, the phenomenon people are describing here of livestock roaming and even being driven to Athi River to be slaughtered, of course, if you are a cow and you walk that far, you will die by the time you reach. It is not fair for the cows. Since the Coalition Government started putting up abattoirs up there, they will not need to come to Athi River to be slaughtered--- They will be slaughtered and canned there. The railway and the airport are coming up. So, exports will take place. Let us not think – I think this is a fallacy sometimes that we make – that the pastoralists themselves will begin looking for markets. Market provision is a completely different trade. There must be entrepreneurs who know that cows that need to be slaughtered are there, and then they go and provide the market. Then the pastoralists will respond because if you give good prices, they will come. But do not expect the pastoralists to organize themselves and begin looking for markets in the Middle East. It is too complicated for them. Their role is to keep the cows and get them ready, the State providing factor input connects them to the market. Madam Temporary Speaker, I think what we really need is for the State, like the Coalition Government started by providing abattoirs, to provide inducements to those who will buy cows once the State has provided water and the veterinary services. Inducements should be given to those people who will establish the infrastructure for buying the infrastructure; value adding and exporting. It is very easy to provide the infrastructure or the inducements through taxation. If somebody dares and goes and The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}