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{
    "id": 400008,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/400008/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 409,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "through his socialization, travel in the country and engagement with the public and farmers, that there are enormous amounts of fruits which are grown in this country and go to waste. That is true because sometimes I take a ride from my home in Ugenya and go through many markets. You will find that there are tonnes and tonnes of fruits, but after two or three days, those fruits go to waste and the farmers get disappointed. In the next season, they would not want to grow the same fruits or crops. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in terms of its observation and demand for a policy that can address this existing problem, I think that this Motion is very commendable. It is commendable in the sense that if you go to supermarkets to buy groceries, there are fruits from all over the world. You do not see fruits from Kenya in our large-scale supermarkets. They come from places as far as Israel. They are preserved and brought here – thousands of miles away - and sold to us at very high prices. If you compare what an orange costs in the supermarket and what it costs in a market in Ugunja, the difference is very big. You do not understand why in terms of marketing and even the preservation that we are talking about, we are not able to transport these fruits to Nairobi and external markets, in order to make the farmers get income and people to get employment. So, these interventions are necessary. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, even in the horticultural and flower industry, which has become a large contributor to the national economy, there have been interventions that are made. If you go to the airport, there are plans to make it possible for some of these flowers to be preserved and flown to the Europe. Even now, I understand that our flower farmers are taking flowers to Russia. So, I commend this Motion because it is addressing a problem that I see everyday and affecting an area which has got a very high potential. If these policies can be put in place to ensure that we can preserve, store and market the fruits that we produce, the economy of this country and the agricultural sector, which is vital, will grow and develop fully. So, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Mover has to reply to this Motion. I beg to support and commend Sen. Muthama for bringing a Motion like this. Sen. Muthama, I commend you because many of your Motions that come here – like Sen. Ongoro was saying – have a very direct and positive impact on farmers and on our people, generally, just like your politics out there. If you want to see the real Muthama – and I know the real Muthama – just see the Motions that he brings here. Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir."
}