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    "id": 526400,
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    "content": "induce self-regulation across the industry. If you look at the objectives and purposes of this Bill, I think it has broadly covered all the areas right from the seed, production and marketing. It is all encompassing in such a way that it is possible that each and every aspect of it has been taken into consideration. What I like more about the Bill is that it sets the National Potato Council and in Clause 4 the provisions for that council have been given. This council will be mandated to implement the provision of the Act. Many times, you might have an Act in place but if you do not give clear provisions and clear power to a particular body, then the provisions for that Act make it almost impossible for the Act to be implemented. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in this particular Bill which is a proposed Act, there is specific provision for the National Potato Council and it also stipulates the various regulations for that council. This is very important. The council will also promote production and standardization of packaging. The standardization is placed at about 110 kilogrammes per packet and also the standardization of the seed at about 50 kilogrammes per packet. That is very critical and very important. This has been clearly stipulated in the Bill and this makes it very easy for people to understand. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Clause 6 states very clearly the functions of the Council include putting measures in place to improve production. This is where we all go wrong. We have extension officers and researchers but there is nobody to make sure that wherever new findings come up, they are actually brought down to farmers so that they can use the new ways of doing things. Even the land acreage is very small. Other countries have been able to become the greatest producers because they look at the environment, their soil types and level of technology that they can use. Overtime, they have been able to use that appropriately to ensure that productivity increases, while safeguarding the interest of the principal stake holders within the market including the farmers, the middlemen and the marketers. So, it is overreaching - looking at the various aspects. They have also been able to promote the principles of self- regulation across the industries which also become very critical. Among other functions, at least the council has been given the duty to put in place very specific mandates to ensure that it becomes an Act. This Bill and law can be put out there in a way that it can be implemented successfully. Mr. Temporary, Speaker, Sir, Clause 10 states that:- “A council shall disseminate information useful to farmers and other stakeholders”. Many councils and levels of organization at that level do not do that. There is a lot of information but that information does not get cascaded. In this particular aspect, the council shall disseminate that information which is useful to farmers. It is also important to come up with systems of ensuring that dissemination is appropriate for the various farmers whether it is in the form of workshops, group farming or giving practical experiences. Mr. Temporary, Speaker, Sir, I was even more impressed when I realized that this particular council must come up with a five year strategic plan. Therefore, they have to set the agenda five years in advance, their targets, indicators and measurability, so that 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."
}