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{
"id": 90870,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/90870/?format=api",
"text_counter": 163,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Kuti",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Livestock Development",
"speaker": {
"id": 60,
"legal_name": "Mohammed Abdi Kuti",
"slug": "mohammed-kuti"
},
"content": "On the other hand, the development budget increased by Kshs1, 770,440,597 compared to the last financial year. This increase was in recognition of the need to implement critical projects in the livestock sub-sector to stimulate its growth as identified under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP). Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, before expanding on how my Ministry intends to utilize the funds allocated for the Financial Year, 2010/2011, I would like to update hon. Members on the overall performance and achievement of the livestock sector during the last financial year. Appropriate measures were taken to control major livestock diseases through vaccination, disease surveillance, quarantines, public education and awareness creation to mitigate adverse effects of diseases and minimize economic losses. During the last financial year, my Ministry carried out vaccination of over 8 million animals, continued to monitor Rinderpest, which we declared completely eradicated and we have a certificate from the World Animal Health Organization (WHO) that monitors trade-sensitive diseases. We now have an eradication certificate for Rinderpest, but we still continue monitoring it. Where outbreaks of foot and mouth disease, avian influenza and Rift Valley Fever were reported, control measures were instituted. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, trade control services are critical in most parts of the country. My Ministry, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (ADB), is implementing the Pan-African Trypanosomiasis, Tsetse Eradication and Control Project (PATTEC) whose objective is to control tsetsefly in 39 districts in the Meru/Mwea, Lake Victoria and Lake Bogoria regions. Appropriate technologies were disseminated to livestock keepers to keep tsetsefly at manageable levels and mass treatment for affected animals was carried out. The initiative significantly reduced livestock deaths from Trypanosomiasis and encouraged livestock keeping in those areas. To demonstrate the effectiveness of these projects, tsetsefly density in Ruma National Park has been reduced to zero levels now. My Ministry places high priority in offering extension services to livestock keepers and training them on new methods and technologies of livestock management. Over Kshs2 million livestock farmers and pastoralists were reached through extension services by my Ministry through various forums. In light of limited resources and the desire to reach more livestock farmers, my Ministry in line with the National Agricultural Sector Policy (NASEP) is encouraging collaboration and networking with stakeholders such as the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK), Livestock Breeders Association (LBA), Kenya Livestock Producers Organization and civil societies to provide extension services. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in order to support implementation of technologies and methods given by my Ministry, livestock keepers were able to secure improved breeding materials consisting of cattle, sheep, goats and rabbits from the Ministry farms spread across the country. In addition, the dairy industry benefitted immensely from Artificial Insemination (AI) services from the Central Artificial Insemination Service Station. The station produced over 1.7 million doses of semen that were distributed, through Ministry staff, to private AI service providers thereby providing employment for our youths. As you are aware, my Ministry is responsible for the safety of foods of animal origin. Towards this end, the Ministry undertook meat inspection in four new municipalities. This programme is a gradual take-over from the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation which used to do meat inspection. Every year, we take over as many municipalities as we recruit more staff. Therefore, this year, we were able to take over four new municipalities. While surveillance and quality control of milk products was strictly monitored by the Kenya Dairy Board, our farmers have not received full value for their products because they are usually sold raw or semi-processed. In order to ameliorate this situation, my Ministry has embarked on training farmers on value-addition and agri- business for various products like leather, honey, milk and meat; providing milk coolers, linking farmers to processors, construction of strategic modern slaughterhouses as in Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir and many more places in this Financial Year. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, to ensure that qualified personnel are available to deliver quality service to livestock keepers, the Ministry continued to train pre-service students at Animal Health and Industry Training Institute ( AHITI) Ndomba, AHITI Nyahururu, AHITI Kabete and also at the Meat Training School / Dairy Training Institute, Naivasha. In the financial year 2009/2010, over 1,000 students graduated from these institutions with certificates of various livestock health and management skills. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in recognition of the role played by livestock in supporting livelihoods of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) communities, my Ministry in collaboration with the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) is implementing the ASAL Project that has provided communities with grants to implement livestock supporting projects such as water development, value addition of various livestock products and support to livestock health management. In high rainfall areas, the Ministry in collaboration with IfAD is implementing smallholder dairy commercialization projects in nine districts. During the last financial year, the project was able to purchase coolers for groups, training milk hawkers, purchase dairy goats for vulnerable members of the communities such as those affected or infected by HIV/AIDS. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, while our achievements reflect concerted efforts of the entire Ministry staff, I would like to point to the various challenges my Ministry faced while implementing these programmes and projects. The key constraint has been inadequate funding, understaffing, insecurity in livestock producing areas, recurrent droughts, disease outbreaks, inadequate transport and shortage of water and forage for livestock. In the current financial year, the Ministry will apply the allocated funds as follows:- Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, just to give you an illustration on this issue of resource allocation--- Resource allocation is not only very limited but sometimes, it is also skewed. I would like to give an example of farmers in Mandera. You know very well Mandera is a livestock district but you will be surprised that the District Veterinary Officer (DVO) in Mandera gets Kshs500,000 as Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE) for that whole year when the District Agricultural Officer (DAO) in Mandera gets Kshs5 million for the same period. So these resources are from the same Government but the allocation is so skewed that you will wonder what the DAO in Mandera will do with Kshs5 million. Of course it may not be enough for the activities he may be having but you will be surprised at what l a DVO or the DLPO will do with Kshs500,000 for one whole year. This is an example to illustrate exactly how much depressed we are in trying to achieve the goals and the mandate that the Ministry has been given. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will now proceed to tell the House how I will apply the allocated funds. In the Recurrent Vote R19, the Ministry will recruit 500 technical staff who will be deployed to various field stations to strengthen service delivery, especially the extension services which is crucial. The provincial staff in my Ministry will be facilitated to supervise, train, monitor, evaluate and guide district staff in the 270 districts who will be dealing with the implementation of various programmes and projects. At the district level, we expect to reach over 1.5 million farmers directly in view of the limited resources allocated. Towards this end, the Ministry has allocated Kshs193 million. A further Kshs15 million has been allocated to purchase motorcycles to improve transport for the field officers. To continue building capacity and skills for the livestock sector, the Ministry will support five training institutions with Kshs103 million to train in-service and pre-service manpower. In addition, the Ministry will support pastoral training Centres in Narok, Giriftu and mobile training units to farmers in specialized pastoral skills. The Ministry has allocated Kshs32 million to support nine livestock improvement stations, four animal production farms and four veterinary farms. These farms will provide improved breeding stock to be sold to farmers while the veterinary farms will provide biological materials and specimen herd for assessing efficacy of veterinary drugs and diseases. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry headquarters is housed at Kilimo while its technical departments are based at Kabete and Hill plaza. The Ministry has allocated Kshs275 million for operations and maintenance. These include payments of utilities, Kshs28 million rent for Hill Plaza, OIE, and AU for Heifer Regional Offices. I would like to say that OIE is a new input where the Government has committed to house the regional headquarters of OIE. OIE is the institute that controls trade sensitive diseases among livestock and their closeness here will improve and contribute significantly to exporting of our livestock, maintenance of vehicles in all stations and support to supervision and monitoring of livestock quality implementation. In the Development Vote D19, my Ministry has embarked seriously on the implementation of Vision 2030 projects. Under this arrangement, the Ministry has been allocated Kshs150 million to start establishment of Coast and Isiolo-Laikipia disease free zones. To complete eradication of tsetse fly in the Meru, Mwea, Lake Victoria and Lake Bogoria regions, the Ministry has allocated Kshs421 million. To ensure livestock production and productivity, my ministry has allocated Kshs728 million to improve semen production from the central Artificial Insemination (AI) stations, promote smallholder dairy and poultry commercialization, rehabilitate and improve rangeland productivity and support ASAL livestock livelihood, rehabilitate veterinary investigation laboratories and farm infrastructure. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, last and not least, I want to thank the Government for recognizing the need to facilitate accelerated growth of livestock sector through the Economic Recovery Stimulus programme. Under this programme, my Ministry was allocated Kshs1.5 billion to undertake the following projects:-"
}