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{
    "id": 608155,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/608155/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 340,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "increase in food production. That is why we are taking potato farming as a very important food culture. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, potatoes can only grow in some selected areas. We note that potatoes mainly grow in the former Central Province, the highland region, parts of Kakamega and a few selected areas along the coast region. Not all people in this country live where potatoes are grown. If you have to carefully study where potatoes grow, you will find that those people who live in potato growing areas also suffer just like the potato crop suffers as it grows. They thrive in areas which are very cold, windy and with very high torrential rainfall. In most cases, they suffer from air related diseases like pneumonia, common cold and asthma. This crop does not grow in warm areas, it grows in cold environments. This crop does best in areas which can also competitively do well in pyrethrum growing. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we are dealing with a selective crop because it grows in areas which are wet and the terrain is difficult. It is difficult to come up with good roads in those areas. What amazes me is that these areas where potatoes are grown have very poor road communication network, the rail is not there and even to get to a farm that is producing potatoes is very hard. So, somebody has to use either donkeys or humankind to ferry bags to lorries in order to take the produce to the market at a cost. Thanks to the Government which has come up with the approved weight of 50 kilogrammes per bag. This has saved the farmers and this is a positive effort by the Government. A lot of research has been done towards the growing of this crop. There are different potato varieties. For example, the potatoes from Meru are considered the best for frying chips. For Irio, there are potatoes which come from Molo. People know which potato is suitable for which food they want to eat. We have research stations which have been developed by the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and the information I have is KARI has some of the best research stations in the world. The scientists we have in Kenya have also gained a lot of credit worldwide and they have come up with proper varieties for different regions. That is why we are talking about the Meru, Embu and Molo potatoes because they grow in different environmental regions which cannot grow any other crop to compete with the potato. Potatoes are grown in areas which receive heavy rainfall as I had stated earlier. The production of this crop is such that it is a heavy yielding crop. It produces tubers and two to three can fill a bag or a debe . When those tubers are harvested and packed for consumption in the market, be they near or distant markets, there is a problem of perishability. They rot very fast if they are not properly aerated. It, therefore, means that the Government has to understand the problems facing farmers because it is not of their own making. These problems emanate from either weather or climatic conditions, the terrain or the topography. For example, areas which are on the leeward side will not grow as much potatoes as those which are on the windward side. When we have such high production coming in place and you realize that it is the only season until the following year to grow potatoes but the problem is that you might produce highly that year and that is all. The farmers cannot grow anything else in that area; they cannot grow maize, fruits or tea. They can keep dairy animals but on a limited scale. 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."
}