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{
    "id": 47026,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/47026/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 324,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Okemo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 198,
        "legal_name": "Chrysanthus Barnabas Okemo",
        "slug": "chrysanthus-okemo"
    },
    "content": "farm gate nor does this sugar-cane get paid on the basis of the sucrose content. So, the farmer is left completely at the mercy of the miller. The question of manipulation of the weights at the weighbridges is a big issue. It is an issue that should not be understated. Either they manipulate the weighing equipment or they merely steal and put weights there that favour the milling company. To me, the temporary solution that should be put in place is that there must be a farmers’ representative who should physically be at the weighbridge wherever that weighbridge might be, so that he can actually confirm that what is shown on the weight is exactly what is going to be invoiced in the milling company. This is because without doing that the farmer continues to lose a lot of money. Mr. Speaker, Sir, secondly, the price formula is completely inadequate. This is because it merely looks at changes in the price of sugar, yet we have heard even from the Prime Minister here that you need to consider co-generation because that is income, production of ethanol and the sucrose content. All these things should be factored into the price formula, so that whenever there is extra income, part of that income should go to the farmer. Sometimes it is very annoying when I see the results of Mumias Sugar Company, at the end when they are televising it and they show that the company has made a profit of Kshs3 billion and yet, half of the farmers in that region are getting debits. Why can they not do something? I would be happy even if they got Kshs1 billion and, the Kshs2 billion, they find a way of making sure that the farmer also benefits from it. The worst part is that even the shareholders of Mumias Sugar Company are not farmers. Not a single farmer owns shares in Mumias Sugar Company. It is owned by rich people who are not even from the region. Now, how can you be farming cane and you get nothing out of it? You see all the money just going away, yet you are told that you should continue farming cane. I think it is the high time that the sugar-cane farmer is also treated like other farmers. If in the coffee sector, about Kshs3 billion was written off, and in the sugar sector today there are a lot of debts which are owed and the farmer is the one bearing these debts, why can the Kenya Sugar Board not be authorized by the Government to write-off these debts, so that the sugar-cane farmer can also benefit? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we hear that the Kenya Sugar Board has got now a scheme where they can loan money to farmers. We do not want this money---"
}