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{
    "id": 438328,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/438328/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 27,
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    "content": "management and fumigation. It will also partner with county governments to enhance food security through development and management of grain storage facilities. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, regarding measures being taken to cushion farmers from adverse suffering from erratic market forces, these include timely disbursement of funds – the national Treasury has been releasing funds for strategic maize reserve purchases for farmers early enough before harvesting starts. In the last two years, the national Government has allocated Kshs3 billion in each year for maize purchases. By purchasing maize at Kshs3,000 per 90 kilogramme bag through the NCPB, the Government ensures that farmers get good returns for their produce and protect them from exploitation by middle men whose prices are lower. The reviewed legal notice No.55 of 2002 that established the Strategic Grain Reserves is already being forwarded to the Treasury. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, on the issue of policy direction to enhance Strategic Grain Reserves to eight million bags of which four million bags are in physical stock while the remaining is in cash equivalent and also to include rice, beans, powdered milk, canned beef and fish products as part of food reserve. The other measure is that the Ministry has been working with other stakeholders to have a structured market for maize through the warehousing receipt system. The draft Warehousing Receipt System Bill is already awaiting the approval of Parliament. This will give an alternative market because maize and the millers will no longer dictate the prices. It is envisaged that when the warehousing receipt system is fully operational through NCPB and other private sector stakeholders, it will help producers in storage of their maize when there is surplus. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the other measure is commodity grain stores. The said Department of Agriculture has been mobilizing farmers to adopt the aggregation and cereal bagging concept which enable small-scale farmers to have a collective bargaining platform in the maize market and also attract direct buyers rather than relying on brokers. The Ministry has partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP) through the initiative of purchase for progress to mobilize the small-scale farmers through training and assistance in store construction and aggregation of produce to access alternative markets such as WFP and schools, among others. The Government’s policy is to ensure that farmers fully benefit from their work through establishment of structured markets. Other measures to address challenges within the maize sector include establishment of maize driers to be available to farmers to prevent the maize from contamination. With those few remarks, I wish to conclude."
}