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"content": "can grow except coffee and tea, because the environment, weather and terrain allow only those two crops to grow in those areas. These areas are confined in certain parts of Kenya. They form about one third or a quarter of Kenya and they produce enough to be sold, so that we can be proud of being the best coffee and tea farming nation in the world. So, we should, therefore, salute the coffee and tea farmers by saying that they have put the Kenya on the world map and on the right track. Therefore, if we continue supporting the farmers in that direction, I am sure that we will earn more money. This is the money which later on, will be translated into various development projects in the country. The same money will be used to provide a good road network in North Eastern. It can also be used to build the Lamu Port and safeguard the integrity and security of the country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if a country cannot be proud of being an exporter of a major crop, then that would be a very serious drawback. In Kenya, we are happy that we can talk about tea and coffee. These are the two crops that earn us money. So, what do we do when frost comes, particularly in the tea growing areas? You will find one morning that there is no tea to be picked and two months after that, the farmer will experience problems since he will not have earned even a cent. During such times, we need to compensate the farmer by paying him for the loss, because that is not his fault. We need to make sure that the farmer is insured against such calamities. If we are not going to protect the farmers in those regions, and these are the people who grow the crops which bring in money that goes into support of various projects, then we will be failing as a country. That is what this Motion is all about. When there are problems of production, the Government should come in. This is not the first country in the world to do that. In America the cotton growing belt was moved from east to west. When it moved to the west, they found that it was not possible to grow cotton because of the increasing problems of ball weevil. America had to make sure that cotton farmers had to be sustained. As a result of that, they introduced subsidies to the farmers. The same happens in Australia. Last week, the Australian Government moved in to save the sheep farmers when there was a great fire. So, there are times when the Government will come in to save the situation. That is what we are asking the Government to do. When times are harsh for production that is when we expect the Government to come in and save the situation, so that next time when the farmers have high production, it will go towards raising enough money even to pay for the lost time. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, since the prices of fertilizer continue to rise, why can the Government not produce that fertilizer, so that the prices will be lower and the farmer can realize greater yields? Why can we not start a fertilizer factory in the country? Is it impossible to have one? We have all the factors of production. We have the oil that we are importing from wherever, water, a market and the manpower to do that. If we can reduce the costs of production, so that we can save the farmers, that is all that they need. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, according to me, our Kenyan coffee is the best in the world. Why should we allow those two crops to be blended with the other tea and coffee produced in other countries so that they can export it like it is theirs, when it is our coffee which is earning those countries money? So, we need these crops to be patented so that 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."
}