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{
    "id": 55514,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/55514/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 391,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Pesa",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 134,
        "legal_name": "John Dache Pesa",
        "slug": "john-pesa"
    },
    "content": "It is very sad that although Kenya is an agricultural country, one of the inputs we use in our agricultural sector, which is fertilizer, is not locally produced. As hon. Members have highlighted, farmers in the country are complaining because we are importing fertilizers from other countries. If we were producing our own fertilizers locally, the problems that we are experiencing in this country would not have arisen. Therefore, it is very important that farmers’ interests are taken care of by creating possibilities of having a fertilizer industry here in Kenya. I know very well that Kenyans have inputs that are required to come up with this factory. The solid wastes, as one of the Members has just mentioned, we have them in abundance and the fertilizer is not being used locally. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, if you look at the cost of our produce, especially the crops that we export outside Kenya, because of the cost of the fertilizer that we import, our exports are not competitive in the world market because they are produced at very high prices. If we have locally made fertilizer, I am very sure that the cost of production of the food crops, the crops which we import and others would be cheaper and, therefore, they would compete very effectively in the world market. We would create employment in Kenya if we had a fertilizer factory as opposed to creating a market for a few people who import fertilizers. Not many Kenyans get engaged in that importation market. Therefore, only few people benefit when we import fertilizer and sell it at very high price to our farmers. Kenyans would want that we do well in the agricultural sector and we can only do that if the seeds, the fertilizer and our land give us low cost of production in this country. I want to end by supporting this Motion which is very timely."
}