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{
"id": 6410,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/6410/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Eng. Gumbo",
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"speaker": {
"id": 24,
"legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, other than the fact that we do not produce sufficient food, there is also the problem of too much waste. I was recently reading an article prepared by one of the parastatals in the agricultural sector, in which it is estimated that annually, the amount of food lost in Kenya approximates to as much as Kshs40 billion worth of cash. We must go beyond merely pursuing production, and find a way of even keeping what we produce. That is why as we roll out into the counties, one of the areas we have to pay keen interest to is how we can provide storage facilities in all our counties. I am looking at Kenya, being an equatorial country; why do we not, for example, start looking at how we can build solar operated grain silos and cooling plants? When we talk of things like tomatoes, these are very perishable foodstuffs that have to be appropriately stored and a means of cooling provided for them to be able to overcome perishability. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have said it before that it is also important that we diversify our food sources. There are very many traditional foodstuffs that have been known in the past like millet, sorghum, cassava, et cetera; they have been known to help to tackle the problem of food inadequacy. I think the Ministry of Agriculture, together with interested bodies like the AFC, must come out to try to sensitize the people, so that we diversify in that area. Having said that, as I support the Motion in its amended form, I think the AFC must make deliberate efforts to set aside some money to publicise itself. Most people in Siaya County, where I come from, have very little awareness of what the AFC does and even how to apply for a loan from it. As a matter of fact, where I come from, AFC loans have in the past been seen as free cash for the well connected few. This perception needs to be changed because there is serious money to be made from agriculture. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as has been said by some hon. Members who have spoken before me, agriculture can be an avenue of tackling the problem of unemployment, especially among the youth. I have seen in my constituency youth and women groups which engage in the planting of “new” crops like water melons. I have seen youth groups comprising of not more than 20 members who make as much as Kshs100,000 a month, engaging in the production of this “new” crop. What is worrying is that the methods they use are very rudimentary and you get the sense that if they were to be sufficiently educated and trained, they would be able to improve, make much more money and be able to earn a more reliable livelihood. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I conclude, I want to once again thank the Mover of the Motion, the Seconder and the amendment Mover and say that AFC loans should also come with basic training, so that not only do you give people money but you also help them to understand what they can do with the money – how they can use the money to optimise their activities, so that farming no longer becomes just a part-time business but a way to a meaningful and reliable livelihood. With those remarks, I support the amendment."
}