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"id": 86158,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/86158/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Kosgei",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Agriculture",
"speaker": {
"id": 13,
"legal_name": "Lucas Kipkosgei Chepkitony",
"slug": "lucas-chepkitony"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, other things have been suggested. Many hon. Members who have spoken think that we can get rid of the KTDA and let tea float. We will not do that because the KTDA essentially came up almost as a co-operative for small-scale tea farmers. We are already trying to get a situation where there is value addition. Just two weeks ago, I went through the markets of Europe trying to see how we can sell our tea directly. A few weeks ago on the outskirts of the CPA, I had a meeting with my colleague from Sri Lanka and I have a pending visit with them to go there with some of our farmers, brokers and practitioners to see how they have managed to add value to the extent that nowhere in the world do I go and miss Silon Tea which comes from Sri Lanka. From the quality point of view, we have better quality tea which must not be allowed to slip. If we allow âhawkingâ of tea, it means that anyone can go around, pick any tea and sell to the multinationals. It is not a secret at all that small-holder tea growers, who produce 68 per cent of the tea, have the quality that nobody all over the world can beat. This is from the small-holders through the KTDA. It is in the interest of Kenya to make sure that this is maintained. It is my interest, as the Minister for Agriculture, to see that we have the right infrastructure to make sure that our tea does not fall just because people have to wait for the KTDA for the whole day and pay the price."
}