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{
    "id": 978924,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/978924/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 130,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipkelion East, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Joseph Limo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1915,
        "legal_name": "Joseph Kirui Limo",
        "slug": "joseph-kirui-limo"
    },
    "content": "Previously, we had a research station in Kericho called Tea Research Foundation. It has now been turned into an institute which has little impact on the farmers because it is not funded. So, we need to amend this law to have a certain percentage of revenue channeled to research. A country without proper research does not have a future. We need to ensure that there is future in tea industry by ensuring that the tea research foundation is properly financed and put in place so that it improves tea clones and practices that farmers are currently using. Some of the tea clones that farmers are planting are obsolete. The practices that are being used by farmers are obsolete. The Tea Research Foundation is no longer working well because there is no funding. It has been put as a department of a big organisation. We need to enhance the Tea Research Foundation. Any county that does not invest in research will be extinct in the near future. We need to talk about the worst enemy of farmers. The worst enemy that farmers are currently facing is marketing. Without a strong marketing agent managed by the Government, our farmers cannot benefit. Currently, our farmers have been left in the hands of KTDA and brokers. We want to ensure that this particular Bill… Though many contributors have said it is hollow, this is a House of debate and law making. We are supposed to look at the Bill as a skeleton then we put flesh on it. So, we encourage Members to bring amendments to talk about how marketing will be enhanced and how the bad practices by brokers will be curtailed, so that our farmers will get direct benefits. I encourage Members to bring amendments. I will ensure I bring amendments which will enhance marketing of tea to ensure that the farmer gets the benefits instead of leaving it to brokers. Many multinationals are now focusing on direct sales, where the marketers go out to look for buyers, and they come and ensure that various factories produce what the market requires. If we produce without knowing who we are producing for, we will not produce as per the specifications from the market. So, we will ensure that the marketing arm of what is being suggested as the Tea Board of Kenya is strong enough to ensure that they are able to identify markets for our tea. We must also put something in the Bill to ensure that our tea is not only exported in bulk. Rather, we must look for a way of ensuring that we do value addition in Kenya, so that we export after adding value. After adding value, obviously, the prices will be different. Because Kenya is the best source of tea, customers will not have an option. If we put a law that no tea will leave Kenya if it is packaged in more than one kilogramme, it will ensure that no one will play with our tea. Rather, we will encourage the investors who are trading in tea all over the world to come and set up their factories in Kenya, and that will have a multiplier related to tea production all over the world will then trickle down to Kenya. With all those remarks, Hon. Speaker, thank you very much for this opportunity. I encourage Members in this House to support this Bill. And let us ensure that we put value into it so that it becomes a very good Bill. Thank you."
}