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{
    "id": 391387,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/391387/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 210,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, what this Motion is proposing will be the solution to these problems. In my opinion, the proposals by the Mover will go a long way in alleviating the problems the farmer is going through. The first solution is that if we want the famers to maximize on these crops, the Government must come up with a policy to ensure that we are not exporting tea and coffee as a raw material, but as a finished product. This is value addition, which must be done. Secondly, we must subsidize fertilizer. I appreciate that where I come from, the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) supplies farmers with fertilizer. But farmers at the end of the day pay for this fertilizer for years. This eats up the bonus from the earnings that they would have got from their produce. Therefore, the Government must come up with a policy to ensure that the fertilizer that is being supplied by KTDA and others is subsidized. Thirdly is the issue of marketing that the Mover of the Motion brought out very well. We must do aggressive marketing of tea. We should ensure that we cut off the middlemen who exploit our farmers. Fourthly and most important is the budgetary provision to cushion farmers when the international prices drop. That has been captured very well in the Motion, that there should be a budgetary provision so that when the prices internationally go down, the Government should be able to buy the produce from the farmers, keep in store until such a time when the prices improve and then the Government can sell. Otherwise the farmer remains the most frustrated person in this country. The Government should get its act right. We must have proper priorities to ensure that the farmer is assisted. I want to urge the Mover of this Motion, Sen. Muthama, my good friend and elder brother, to ensure that after we overwhelmingly pass this Motion, he should bring a Bill so that we give a proper effect to this Motion. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to be on record. I support the Motion."
}