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{
    "id": 503123,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/503123/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 248,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Eng.) Muriuki",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2559,
        "legal_name": "Stephen Muriuki Ngare",
        "slug": "stephen-muriuki-ngare"
    },
    "content": "Thank you Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I hope that when you talk about short you mean about five minutes. I would like to make a statement under Standing Order 45(2)(a) regarding the current wholesale crisis in potatoe producing counties following the announcement by the Government on new standard weights of various produce. The economy of Nyandarua County, which I represent, revolves almost wholly around dairy products and potatoes. The subject matter is potatoes. The potatoe industry is very fragile, starting off with the product sale. Last week, the Government announced a new wholesale weight of 50 kilogrammes per bag to change from the previous weight of 110 kilogrammes. The effect of that was that the farmers in Nyandarua County and other potatoe producing counties did not know what to do. The previous standard of 110 kilogramme had a physical bag where when farmers put potatoes in it, it automatically became 110 kilogrammes. Now that the Government is talking about 50 which is the future of this country and the world, the farmers are now operating between a rock and a hard place. This announcement came with a very heavy fine of Kshs500,000 for anybody who will contravene this rule. The farmers are finding themselves in a very awkward situation where either they will not harvest their crop which will make it go bad or they may harvest and put the produce in the old 110 kilogrammes bag after which they will be arrested by the police. The “normal” way of doing things so that one is not arrested is to bribe the police. Farmers have not harvested since Monday and yet it is harvesting season. They do not know what to do. The purpose of my statement is to request the Government to review the situation with a view to suspending the implementation of this rule until the Government comes up with the standard physical bag where farmers can put potatoes. The Government can also organize for the supply of these bags which farmers can use. The end result of this is that I have sent observers to the Marigiti Market every morning since Monday. The situation is that---"
}