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{
    "id": 799773,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/799773/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 132,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "know. These are people we have known. They have fed this country for many years yet they are being called cartels without clear provision of the information as to who is a cartel and who is not. My neighbour in Trans Nzoia where I farm has about 2,000 acres. That farmer would have farmed another crop but because we depend on maize and wheat, these people continue planting these crops in the hope that they will deliver to NCPB and be paid on time. If it happens that they are paid Kshs200 or Kshs300 million, we should not castigate those types of farmers. That does not also stop us from questioning those who have imported maize. In addition, we want protection for small scale farmers. I agree with Sen. (Prof.) Kamar that the only way you can protect the farmers with five, 10 or 15 acres is to devolve NCPB. The NCPB should have buying centres in every constituency. We urge the Ministry that they must do everything possible to ensure that in the next financial year, all the maize purchases are done at the constituency level, and to some extent, at the ward level because constituencies dealing with farming are not so many in the country. They can afford to collect the maize at a lower level. Finally, it is unfortunate that when we are finding a solution to a problem such as the one of maize, we have friends and politicians whose only interest is to score political points. We would like to tell every citizen, politician and leader that we must make our contribution in the fight against cartels in the maize sector but without castigating those farmers who have worked so hard. I can mention their names here. They are so many in that list. I know them in person because we represent these people. They are actual farmers. To be castigated in public and be called cartels is the most unfortunate thing that has happened in this country."
}