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{
    "id": 821303,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/821303/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 197,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The committee should look at the issue of the dwindling level of maize production in this country. In 2013, we produced 40.7 million bags of maize; in 2014, we had 39 million bags of maize; in 2015, it went down to 37.8 million bags and in 2017, we had 35.4 million bags. That was a reduction of 2.4 million bags of maize from the previous year. Madam Temporary Speaker, at the same time, the imports went up in an inordinately high amount. What is happening in this county? The amount of increase of imports should be commensurate with the reduction of the production of this maize. Is it a business to profiteer just a few people or are we looking at the farmers? Interestingly, at the same time, the production of beans went up by 16 per cent in the same period, so did the production of wheat at that point. I will ask the Senators, even as the Committee work goes on, to have a look at pages 119 and 120 of the Economic Survey - which is available to all the Senators - to see what has been happening over the years to our agricultural sector. It is a shame and something to cry about because farmers are really suffering. If anybody was to ask me today that they want to get into business of growing maize, I would tell them not to think about it because those of us growing maize are running away from it. What I used to get two to three years back is very different from now. Madam Temporary Speaker, I am glad, Sen. Wetangula has mentioned the issue of how the Agriculture Finance Cooperation (AFC) treats and interacts with farmers in helping grow this sector must be addressed. He knows very well since he was once the lawyer to my father that for many years, we were weighed down under the loans that had been paid but because of poor accounting and management at AFC--- Many times, my father’s farm was in the newspaper being auctioned. The first thing I did when I became a Member of Parliament (MP) was to go and agree with them on how to pay off what I know was not supposed to be paid off. If I could do that as an MP in the 11th Parliament, what does an ordinary Kenyan go through when it comes to dealing with these institutions that are supposed to be helping the farmer and promoting agriculture, not suppressing it. Madam Temporary Speaker, interestingly, in Nairobi, we bear the brunt of shortage of maize. Unlike the rural areas, hunger in the urban area is worse because in the rural areas, you can get what we call ‘ gorogoro moja ama mbili’ of maize from a neighbour and get going. In urban areas which is a concrete jungle, if you are not able to find money to buy food, then you sleep hungry. I am glad that we have been working with the County Government of Nairobi and the new Chief Executive Committee member and Chief Officer to make sure that we subsidise, whenever there is a shortage of maize or an issue of maize pricing. Instead of subsidising millers as it has been going on, in Nairobi County, you need to subsidise the"
}