Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 86157,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/86157/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 358,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Kosgei",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Agriculture",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13,
        "legal_name": "Lucas Kipkosgei Chepkitony",
        "slug": "lucas-chepkitony"
    },
    "content": "I have listened very carefully to what the hon. Members have said. This Bill was drafted because there is need for this industry to be reformed and to move forward. We put down what we thought was important. The way I look at the contributions from hon. Members is that they have thought about what they are saying. Their sentiments, especially on research and how we need to enhance it are extremely important. Countries like Vietnam have benefitted from the research that Kenya has done. I have listened very carefully to the various hon. Members. The criticisms or what looks like criticisms of the Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) are things that are very well known by everyone. It is my intention to work with those hon. Members through the Departmental Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Co-operatives to include what would suit our farmers. Our intention here is to make sure that the Kenyan farmer benefits. Many points have been made and I want to assure hon. Members that I have taken them seriously. There is the question of what are we doing with the cess? We are saying that we want 50 per cent of this and that. We left it that way so that we have an opportunity as a House so that we collectively write down what we need for the infrastructure and research because that cannot be left to the Headquarters of the KTDA to determine what goes to what factory. Our experience at the moment is that the KTDA which started the small-holder tea agriculture and took it to this level is not doing it now all the time for the benefit of the small-scale farmer. It is our collective responsibility to make sure that we reduce poverty in those areas by making sure that the farmers realise proper earnings from what they do."
}