{"id":675507,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/675507/?format=json","text_counter":30,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Njuki","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":1372,"legal_name":"Onesmus Muthomi Njuki","slug":"onesmus-muthomi-njuki"},"content":"Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to comment on this Petition. Agriculture in this country is the backbone of most farmers. Unfortunately, most farmers normally till very small pieces of land which are not arable. Therefore, rejuvenating the soil using fertilisers or manure is what we depend on to have any productive activity in agriculture. Unfortunately, subsidised fertiliser does not mean cheap or low quality. This is coming in the light of what happened in the NCPB recently, where all board members were sent home because of scandals which were there. This has nothing to do with the suspension of those board members. If there is corruption that has creeped into that sector, then we expect it eat its way all the way to the farm, where the poor farmer is trying to eke a living out of simple agriculture."}