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{
    "id": 403702,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/403702/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 113,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wangari",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13123,
        "legal_name": "Martha Wangari",
        "slug": "martha-wangari"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I know a lot has already been said about this Motion and how timely it is. I want to add my voice by congratulating the Mover of the Motion; knowing that she comes from Kuresoi, I know that she is very passionate about farming and she has said so herself. I want to say that this Motion is very timely. A country that cannot feed itself does not have moral ground to talk of being industrialized and a first world country until everyone can have food on their table. It is very heartbreaking and I know this was brought up a few weeks ago in the starvation statistics; that we are already staring at a food crisis in this country. We watched on national television a woman who had not eaten for three days. It is very sad and very heartbreaking to see a child trying to breastfeed from breasts that do not have anything. We cannot be proud as leaders if we cannot put food on the tables of Kenyans. As we know, there have been effects of global warming. Gone are the days when we could predict the beginning of the short and long rains. Nowadays you cannot predict that. The people who came up with the AFC and most of the other parastatals that deal with agriculture were founded on the basis of supporting farmers’ right from when they are preparing their land to the planting stage. That is where we talk of provision of seeds. We even have reports of farmers getting poor seeds from the same Government. Apart from that, the purpose of AFC was to complete that chain after planting and even in the management of the plants as they grow, up to the day when we shall harvest and distribute them. I know we have had problems, especially with the marketing. This touches on the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB). Even right now, the stores of NCPB are not open. This subjects the farmers to having middle men to buy the maize at throwaway prices and yet the NCPB is supposed to assist them to get value for their money. We should have an agricultural parastatal that is supposed to subsidize and support the farmers. Every time they default, which is not necessarily pre-meditated, but because of issues that are beyond our control, especially for the small farmer, they should be assisted. The moment you have planted, you can only rely on God that the rains will come, but when they do not, the rate of interest is doubled. If you have a loan with the AFC that is standing at 10 per cent interest rate, if you default, that rate is doubled. 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"
}