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"id": 978911,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Endebess, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose",
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"content": "Farmers have suffered a lot in this country. Ships come in and auctions are done in them and benefits do not accrue to the farmer. This is a move in the right direction. Even as we discuss issues BBI and others, we have seen people from tea-growing areas like Kericho and the central region talking about dwindling fortunes of tea farming. It is high time tea-growing…We know that agriculture constitutes almost 60 per cent of what Kenya earns in Gross Domestic Product. We need to look at how to rejuvenate the tea industry. How do we view our farmers? At the end of the day our farmers should be able to take care of themselves. They should have money in their pockets. They should be in a position to send their children to school. Even as I support this Tea Bill, I hope this House will pass it very soon. If there are amendments, they should be in the right direction. In the clause under transitional provisions, it talks of the assets, liabilities and everything that was initially being done by the Board. Clause 35 states: “All rights, obligations and contracts which, immediately before the coming into operation of this Act, were vested in or imposed on the Agriculture and Food Authority with respect to the tea sector shall by virtue of this section, be deemed to be the rights, obligations and contracts of the Board as the case may be.” Therefore, one of the key issues, especially when it comes to the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) Act, is about food safety which has not been addressed adequately. Currently, our country is facing a catastrophe caused by locusts that are now invading into almost 17 counties and moving on. We should not look helpless as a country. We should be able to have measures that can come into effect to contain the situation as it is. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}