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    "id": 62143,
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    "content": "could have done much more to give the farmer Kshs2,300 per 90 kilogramme bag of maize to enable them break even. Most importantly, we want the Government to check the escalating fertilizer prices. Last year a bag of fertilizer was going for about Kshs2,000. Today when you go to retail shops farmers are getting fertilizer at over Kshs3,000. In some shops, the price of fertilizer has gone to about Kshs4, 000. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, a few years ago we remember when this went unchecked, fertilizer prices rose from Kshs2, 000 to Kshs6, 000. As a farmer, I could not believe it that you could buy a 50 Kg DAP bag of fertilizer for Kshs6,000. It happened in this country. So, unless the Government does something to cushion the farmers, we can actually go back there or we can actually demoralize the farmer to the extent that we have farmers uprooting their coffee and tea. There are farmers who are now switching from maize because it is no longer profitable; it is no longer a business. But when we talk of agri-business, farming should actually be business. It should be rewarding to the farmer. But in this country, it is not. Coming from Trans Nzoia, the bread basket of Kenya, I can tell this House that there are many farmers who are actually now switching from maize to other things because maize is no longer profitable. In fact, it has become like a hobby; just for you to fill your fields, but when it comes to the time of harvesting or delivering this maize, you deliver and you are not rewarded for your efforts. Even the little that belongs to you is never paid on time. These are some of the things that are affecting the Kenyan famer, but with the Government taking practical steps towards establishing a fertilizer factory, we will give our farmers hope. We will increase productivity and we will achieve national food security. With these few remarks, I beg to move and ask Mr. Ogindo, to kindly second."
}