20 March 2008
Nairobi — The Government was accused of neglecting the plight of cane farmers in Western and Rift Valley provinces.
ODM MPs Wycliffe Oparanya (Butere) and Kipkalya Kones (Bomet) said the Acts governing the production of sugarcane, wheat, maize and tea had not been included in the raft of reforms meant to boost agriculture.
They said the countrywide problem of regional inequalities was caused by such lopsided policies which failed to place on the same level cash crops that earned foreign exchange and created employment.
Mr Oparanya argued that while billions of shillings were set aside by the Government to assist coffee and pyrethrum farmers get back on track, their counterparts producing maize, sugarcane, wheat and tea in the region were left out.
Raw deal
"Coffee and pyrethrum farmers got money in the budget to assist them but sugarcane farmers were given a raw deal through the Sugar Act, half of which cannot be implemented," he said while contributing to the President's speech.
He accused former Agriculture minister Kipruto Kirwa of frustrating efforts by MPs to amend the Sugar Act during the Ninth Parliament.
The MP said that the Government, a major shareholder in sugar factories, was not keen to increase the production of the crop because it wanted to continue importing sugar.
It was on those grounds, he said, that the sugar safeguards that had been extended to the country by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) to enable it build up capacity in the crop's production were extended.
"The Government is unwilling to increase sugar production because they want to import. The Comesa safeguards have been extended for another four years yet we are not seeing any signs of improvement in the sub-sector," he said.
Mr Kones faulted President Kibaki for failing to touch on the plight of tea farmers. He said that failure to invest more funds in the crop to add value before marketing was affecting farmers.
Add value
"The President should have said that efforts were being made to add value to tea for farmers to earn more. Horticultural farmers are facing the same problem," he said.
He asked the Government to subsidise the prices of farm inputs for maize and wheat producers who, he said, were now paying more than Sh4,000 for a bag of fertiliser.
He warned that the country was on the path to famine. "We will soon become net importers of wheat and maize if the Government does not take the bold step of subsidising prices of fertiliser," he said.
Maragwa MP Elias Mbau (PNU) called for the establishment of institutions and crafting of policies to enable all Kenyans to engage in productive ventures regardless of the party in power.
Such policies, he said, would include prudent privatisation and distribution of resources to productive sectors. "Regardless of whoever is the leader of this country, there is need to establish systems and institutions that enable people to progress," he said.
Wajir South MP Abdirahman Hassan Ali (Kanu) said the President's speech failed to address the plight of livestock farmers and infrastructure in North Eastern Province.
He said the Government was repeating the mistakes of former regimes which marginalised northern Kenya.
Reports by Bernard Namunane, Odhiambo Orlale and Owino Opondo
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