adminFortunate Gora Mash West Correspondent
ZIMBABWE Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) in Mashonaland West Province has this year harvested 860 tonnes of maize. This will be enough to feed inmates for the next four years.
The grain was produced from the 215 hectares financed under Command Agriculture. ZPCS Mashonaland West Assistant Principal Correctional Officer Mr Peter Chiparanga welcomed Government’s move to support such institutions. He said production at the farms would ensure inmates were well-fed.
Food produced at the farms in Hurungwe, Kadoma, Chegutu and Chinhoyi also helped to feed inmates from other provinces like those in the Matabeleland region which receives poor rains.
“Our farms in this province usually produce enough to sustain us, but this year we thank Government because our stocks of grain have improved significantly because of the Command Agriculture programme,” said Assistant Principal Correctional Officer Chiparanga.
“We have enough maize meal in stock to last up to the next four years. We are also able to cater for other prisons in the country.” He said even if they assisted other prisons, their stocks would still last them for the next four years. The province has since received inputs for the 2017 /18 season and there is optimism that they will surpass last season’s harvest.
Assistant Principal Correctional Officer Chiparanga said the province took advantage of the programme to fully utilise the farms at their disposal for self sustenance. Former Officer Commanding Prisons in Mashonaland West, Senior Assistant Commissioner George Denya, recently expressed satisfaction with the way Command Agriculture inputs were used by prisons.
“Our harvest shows that we have utilised the inputs as expected and I am impressed. These inputs must be put to good use and diverting them is regarded as sabotaging Government initiatives,” he said.
Online Reporter