Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 799751,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/799751/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 110,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Kamar)",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 33,
        "legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
        "slug": "margaret-kamar"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise on Standing Order No. 46 (2) (a) to make a Statement regarding the current situation on maize buying by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in the North Rift, Uasin Gishu County, in particular but I will touch on the rest in general. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am standing to give this Statement knowing very well that according to Schedule Four of the Constitution, agriculture is a devolved function except for policy on agriculture and veterinary. This means that this House must be seized of any issue on agriculture. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as all of you are aware, I come from Uasin Gishu County. This area has suffered a lot. Hon. Members have seen a lot of complaints and debates in the media about the issue of maize buying. I want to update this House on the current situation which is that farmers delivered their produce to the NCPB as usual but as we talk, majority of the farmers who delivered their produce have not been paid notwithstanding the fact that the stores were opened this season in an irregular manner. According to the farmers and those of us from the region, the NCPB mishandled the receiving of maize, resulting in very long queues. This led to closing down of the cereals storage, making farmers go back with their produce. Mr. Deputy Speaker Sir, there are situations where farmers found themselves at a loss, because everybody sells in order to pay schools fees for their children and to buy inputs for the next season. The season for 2017 to early 2018 was completely complicated by the way the cereals were handled, particularly in the North Rift. Large scale farmers, in some instances, had to rescue small scale farmers by buying off their produce. Hence we found some of the large scale farmers being named as cartels and yet we know that some of them were actually rescuing the small scale farmers who could not afford to send their children to school. We, in fact, also have children who have dropped out of universities while farmers are owed a lot of money. Mr. Deputy Speaker Sir, many farmers currently still have their produce in their stores because of the same delivery frustrations. One situation that has taken place is that the NCPB has stopped collecting maize, as we speak now. Therefore, all stores have been closed down nationally and this has created another problem and raised a number of questions. This is because the complications and frustrations in delivery actually led to very little produce being delivered. I want to say without fear of contradiction that only about 30 percent of the farmers actually delivered their produce. 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."
}