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{
    "id": 788183,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/788183/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 219,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Oyula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13313,
        "legal_name": "Joseph H Maero Oyula",
        "slug": "joseph-h-maero-oyula-2"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to also contribute to this very important Bill. This Bill, as you know, is very important in that it is geared towards improving irrigation in the country. This Bill has come up with issues regarding associations for irrigation schemes. It encourages small-scale schemes on irrigation which will help the people who are in crowded areas but have facilities from where they can engage in irrigation. For instance, in my constituency, we have very many beautiful river basins which are not utilised. I hope with this Bill in place, we will have a lot of small schemes scattered all over the constituency. The other very interesting thing with this Bill is the creation of the Irrigation Development Fund. Irrigation, in its own nature, is labour intensive. Therefore, because of that, not many people have gone into irrigation. However, with the creation of the Fund, I believe people will now try to get the funds for irrigation purposes. Those funds should be decentralised to the county level. At the county level, it will be easy to access the funds for irrigation purposes. This Bill is very timely and it will help a lot of us in the rural areas who cannot be covered by large irrigation schemes. In western particularly, we cannot have large irrigation schemes. That is why I am happy with the introduction of associations which will be formed to cover small irrigation schemes. The County Irrigation Development Units will also help the county in promoting irrigation schemes. Those units, if well organised and arranged, will support the small-scale farmers. Let us not forget that the green maize we see in the streets comes from small irrigation schemes. Therefore, we should put more effort and emphasis in encouraging those small irrigation schemes which will promote employment among the youths. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}