Prof. Margaret Kamar

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 901 to 910 of 3067.

• 20 Feb 2019 in Senate: Let me talk about what farmers go through whey they deliver their maize. Delivering maize is a nightmare. When we went round, a lady farmer from Bungoma told us that we had gone there to ask obvious questions and she wondered why we were there. She said they had not delivered their maize because when you take your maize, you are told it is not dry. When you go and dry and go back, you are told that your name is not in the system and when you go back again, they tell you it is a waste of time. ... view
• 20 Feb 2019 in Senate: We also listened to farmers in Uasin Gishu and we heard them talk about challenges and difficulties that they have. I visited Ziwa NCPB depot during the recess and discovered that they have even become more complicated. Delivering maize to the NCPB has become more complicated than it was before. These days, you are required not only to take your national identification card and confirm the number of acres you have but also take your title deed with you. If a man has five sons and gives each of them 20 acres to farm and the same father leases out ... view
• 20 Feb 2019 in Senate: national Government would like to register farmers. We then asked, “Whose farmers are you registering?” This is because it is easier for the counties to register their farmers, take stock of who has how many acres and it only becomes easier and obvious. Therefore, unless there are other reasons, it is not right. view
• 20 Feb 2019 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) is created by an Act of Parliament to regulate and control the marketing and processing of maize, wheat and scheduled agricultural produce. However, over the period, though underfunding, mismanagement, frequent legal amendments to the NCPB Act and, of course, the corruption that we witnessed when we were there, the NCPB lost its stature. It has now been reduced to the biggest impediment and frustration to the farmers. In fact, the NCPB operates as a store. view
• 20 Feb 2019 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, we discovered that the NCPB has leased stores to individuals, farmers and the big millers in particular. The stores are full, not because of any produce of their own, but because of produce that is from outside. When we interviewed the minister on this, he said that he was going to check. Two days later, we heard him announce that all leased NCPB stores are being recovered. However, only a month ago, the same millers said, “No; we leased and our produce is inside.” Therefore, even as we are talking now, the stores are full and the ... view
• 20 Feb 2019 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, despite agriculture being a fully devolved function, the Committee noted very strongly that county governments were, at the very least, unaware of the role they should be playing in promoting agriculture in this country. That is something that we must decide and push so that they do not look like helpless bystanders in what is theirs. The national Government, of course, has also continued to hold on, not only to the agricultural functions, but also to the resources. The Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries needs to relook at the budget. It is good to look at ... view
• 20 Feb 2019 in Senate: The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. view
• 20 Feb 2019 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, county governments have also done little to assert themselves in realising that the function in agriculture is devolved. Despite the country being a signatory to the African Union (AU) Maputo Declaration--- view
• 20 Feb 2019 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, I request you once again to tell the Senators to consult in low tones because I can see that my Vice Chairperson is struggling to follow what I am doing. view
• 20 Feb 2019 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, as a Committee, we started looking at other avenues of financing and we asked ourselves how much do we really budget for agriculture in this country? We realised that we only budget four per cent, and maybe that is why we are fighting over pennies between ourselves, various sectors, tea, coffee and everywhere. However, this country is a signatory to the AU Maputo Declaration on Agriculture, which states that 10 per cent of the national budget should be allocated to agriculture. Surely, we cannot continue with four per cent if we want to see improvement. It is ... view