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{
    "id": 86149,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/86149/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 350,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Muthama",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 96,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Nduya Muthama",
        "slug": "johnson-muthama"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also rise to support this Bill which is very important. In this country, the Ministry of Agriculture and the agricultural activities matter a lot to our people, more so, tea which generates the much needed foreign currency. Jobs are created through tea farming and it is a very important crop. A lot has been said here and I totally agree with those who say that it is important to make sure that the market is streamlined in such a way that farmers in this country can benefit from their sweat. We know there are small scale farmers who are being squeezed. After harvesting their tea, they have to depend on the big markets. The markets determine the prices. Before even looking at what the brokers are doing, it would be very important for the Minister to make sure that a funds kitty is created to deal with small scale farmers so that when the big companies squeeze them, the Ministry can have a plan to purchase their produce. It can then be marketed through the efforts of the Ministry, probably to the big companies or the auction markets. With that, the small scale farmers will be fully protected. You cannot imagine a farmer harvesting 20 kilogrammes, 50 kilogrammes, 200 kilogrammes or 300 kilogrammes in the small farms in central Mt. Kenya. I have seen them in Meru and Mathira. That person has no capacity to generate the right income. It is important for the Minister to make sure that the fund is created. The fund should not just be for tea alone. It should extend even to coffee. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the constituency I represent grows coffee. It is however, bought at a very low price. We now have cartels who are opening shops and advertising that people should sell their coffee there. They cheat with the weighing machines. They also cheat with the calculations. The old women who sell are cheated with the calculations and at the end of the day, the person pays the price he or she wants. Mr. J. Nyagah has come up with a plan through his Ministry of trying to introduce a market where coffee will be marketed by the Ministry. I also want to ask the Minister for Agriculture to ensure that there are some structures in place to make sure that the small scale farmers get their produce bought by the Ministry which then markets it."
}