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"content": "country, but we end up importing. These are tendencies that we inherited from the colonial Government and 50 years, half a century later on, we are still there. There are many things that we do with palm oil. I understand that coconut oil can be used to do some much. We use billions of shillings importing this. The Mover talked about an initiative by the Government which I have not heard about. We have talked about maize and other crops. If there has been an initiative by the Government, then it has not been loud. It has been done softly and, probably, is not a serious effort. While we are at that, it is also good to appreciate, while we support this Motion, to urge the House to see that our economy is very narrow. We saw that this is an agricultural economy. We also say that 80 per cent of our economy is driven by agriculture. However, we have coffee, tea and even maize. The real fight about maize is not about growing it, but importing. There is no seriousness in the agricultural sector. Growing of coconut, in all the mathematics and as we talk about agriculture has not been felt. I am not sure that mnazi is something to emphasise about. This does not have a good name. We hear that people from there get beer easily and that is why they do not work hard. They really do not have to go and buy the beer from the bars. I do not know how true that story is, but that is what it is said where I come from. We, as a country, need to identify how the national Government and the county governments, wherever they are, can identify new crops. I do not mean exotic crops. I only mean that we have concentrated on traditional crops forgetting other crops which could be just as good in terms of moving the economy and providing family incomes. I have in mind, for instance, sugar cane. We do not always need to grow sugar cane. In some parts of the country, like Nyandarua County, research has shown that if we were to grow sugarcane, then we would have sugar everywhere. Somehow, this has not been done. I urge the Mover, as she talks about coconut, to also look at other crops. For example, we say that our staple food is maize which we produce in nearly three million tonnes. Another crop like the potatoes is produced in 1.7 million tonnes. The production is not bad. However, since there is no effort from the Government, there is no money that goes into it. There is also no research that has gone into it. The level of effort is very lukewarm. It is timely that the Mover has started guiding us in the route that this country should go. We should go into every area and identify which crops can do well. If the kind of statistics that the Mover has given are correct – I have no reason to doubt – that means that we can turn around the economy of the coast region and other areas where coconuts grow in a few years. We understand that coconuts take rather long to mature. However, once the trees mature, they produce endlessly. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the other issue is that coconut is a subsistence crop. We use it for mnazi, building houses and making furniture. This is not very commercial. This is farming the same way we see it. If there is something killing the economy in Africa, it is the subsistence syndrome. We must come out of it and turn into a money economy. 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."
}