Mathira MP Rigathi Gacahagua (left), and his former Kianyaga Boys High school teacher Julius Ndumbi join traditional dancers who were on hand to entertain when he paid homage to the now-retired educationist at his Ngungu village residence over the weekend. [Munene Kamau/standard]
Legislators from Central Kenya are pushing for the drafting of a Bill that will see the introduction of the Guaranteed Minimum Returns (GMR) in the coffee, tea and dairy sectors.
Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua yesterday said the GMR was meant to cushion farmers from losses and encourage them to invest more in the agricultural sector.
Gachagua, who said he was speaking on behalf of 58 MPs from the region, added that the move was meant to save the ailing agricultural sector.
He said the initiative would help farmers redouble their production, as they were guaranteed returns.
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“Agriculture is the backbone of Mt Kenya residents and if only the three key sectors, namely coffee, tea, and the dairy could be revived through the GMR, then we would have no problem with the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which, to us, is not a priority," he said.
Speaking at Ngungu village, Kabare Ward of Kirinyaga East sub-county, Gachagua said it was futile for the country to have the best leaders who could not feed their people.
“There is not enough food or money coming into the packets of farmers at the moment. This must be urgently addressed," he said.
