The Sunday News
Njabulo Bhebe, Farming Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) has stepped up efforts of enhancing production and turning one of its farms, Anju in Matabeleland North into an integrated agricultural enterprise as it moves to achieve food self-sufficiency at its prisons.
Speaking after a tour of Anju Prison Farm last Wednesday, ZPCS Officer Commanding Matabeleland North Senior Assistant Commissioner Moddie Nkomo said the organisation was in the process of mobilising financial resources to expand the farm’s irrigation capacity.
“We have managed to purchase a solar plant that is going to pump our boreholes so that we don’t depend on electricity. We are also currently operating with two boreholes and intend to have an additional four, which will be solar-powered to pump water. Our aim is to ensure that crops are always irrigated even when there is no electricity while at the same time, we will be increasing land under cultivation,” she said.
Snr Asst Comm Nkomo said just like most Prisons’ projects, Anju Farm was self-funding its various activities.
“Our products are doing well on the market enabling us to generate the much-needed income to finance new projects to be implemented on the farm. The solar plant was bought using funds we realised from water melon sales and recently we also acquired a three-tonne truck, which will assist us in the transportation of produce,” she said.
The 203-hectare farm with an arable land of 130 hectares is being utilised for the production of a wide range of horticultural produce, cereals and edible oil seeds. Produce realised at the farm is channeled towards feeding inmates at Matabeleland region prisons while some of it is sold as a way of generating income to assist in the day to day operations at the institutions.
The organisation has also introduced fish farming at the farm as part of its efforts to supplement the diet of inmates. It also operates one such project in Lupane.
“We have introduced fish farming and today we made delivery of 2 000 fingerlings, which are mainly breeders. Our farm has numerous water reservoirs and as such we intend to take advantage of these through introducing fish, which is going to supplement the diet of our inmates. With such a project in-line there is a need to ensure that the farm doesn’t run out of water,” said Snr Ass Comm Nkomo.
Officer-In-Charge of Anju Prison Farm Superintendent Kuzivakwashe Mativenga added that the organisation was looking forward to partner a reputable stock feeds manufacturer to assist it in the production of edible cooking oil from sunflower.
“The sunflower is now close to harvest and we have entered an arrangement with a local stock feed producer who will be processing the seeds for us into cooking oil, in return the producer will be getting sunflower cake for the production of stock feed. Our intention is to purchase our own pressing machine to process for ourselves while at the same time we will be producing feed for our livestock,” he said.
ZPCS is also into rearing of cattle and pigs at its Anju Prison Farm.
