Zambia's prisoners hailed for producing more food

Zambia's prisoners have been hailed by their government for working hard which have seen the nation doubling its food production to a point that has seen the country exporting food to Zimbabwe.

Reports from Zambia show that Zambia Prisons Service (ZPS) in Southern Province has doubled its food production to supplement Government's support to the correctional facility.

ZPS provincial commanding officer Davies Makayi said the the correctional institution cultivated crops on 270 hectares of land throughout the province from the initial 50 hectares.

Zimbabwe's Vice President Emmerson Mnanagwa recently said the government has imported maize from Zambia to cater for the drought hit parts of Zimbabwe. Many parts of the country particularly Matabeleland South and North and Masvingo received very low rainfall in the last rain season amid serious food shortages.
About $300 million is needed to secure food for Zimbabwe this year.

Speaking during a media tour of Livingstone Central Prison on Thursday last week Makayi said ZPS is doing so in response to the presidential directive that the correctional facility needs to increase food production.

"We have more than trebled our production from 50 to 270 hectares of yield. This is massive production is a result of the efforts that the commissioner of prisons is putting in place," he said.

Makayi said the prisons service is not just focusing on maize production but also growing vegetables in all the provinces.

He pointed out that maize production in the province in the last farming season was adversely affected by poor rains.

Makayi said ZPS is also involved in livestock production, citing Katombora Reformatory School, which has a piggery.
He said the ZPS will continue to work hard to ensure massive food production in the province.

Makayi said ZPS has engaged in massive infrastructure development in Southern Province in an effort to decongest prisons.

In addition, they are also investing in educational programmes to empower inmates with skills that will help them reintegrate into society and also ensure that they do not re-offend once discharged from prison.

Livingstone Central Prison officer-in-charge Patrick Ng'onga said inmates are being trained in general agriculture, while others are pursuing general certificate of education.

Mr Ng'onga said both male and female inmates are showing interest in general agriculture.

He said the correctional facility is doing well in food production and usually produces a lot of cabbage for prisoners and for sale.

Mr Ng'onga said Livingstone Central Prison has about 20,000 heads of cabbages in its garden.