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Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) needs close to $100,000 to rehabilitate ageing irrigation equipment at its Anju Farm in Umguza District in order to boost production output. Anju Farm is a commercial arm of the organisation in Matabeleland region providing a range of horticultural products and grain throughout the year for own consumption and supply to the market in surrounding communities and Bulawayo.
The farm draws its water from the Nyamandlovu aquifer but has been struggling to produce as expected due to dilapidated borehole and piping infrastructure.
Matabeleland Regional ZPCS spokesperson Garainashe Moyo said the organisation had organised a fundraising dinner this month end to engage partners in revitalising the farm.
“The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service Matabeleland Region and its Advisory Board will be holding a fundraising dinner on March 27, 2015 at Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel. The event is meant to secure funds for the re-capitalisation of Anju Farm Prison’s irrigation system expansion programme,” Moyo said.
“This becomes the first step towards exploring sustainable projects to smoothly run prisons without burdening taxpayers. Anju Farm Prison has been chosen first due to its potential to produce significantly and reduce the burden on the fiscus through the provision of Matabeleland Region Prisons food requirements.”
He said the funding would be used to conduct hydro-geological surveys and borehole yield tests, pipe fittings, laterals and sprinklers installation, repairing the pump station and buffer storage.
Moyo also said profits realised from cash crops to be grown at the farm would be channelled towards reviving other projects identified at different prison stations and catering for their minor needs.
ZPCS is also running other projects such as poultry, food outlets, car wash, tailoring, welding and carpentry.
Anju Farm has basalt soils which are suited for crop production.
The farm measures 203 hectares of which 130ha is arable.
“Of the 130ha, 40ha is irrigation. However, only 15ha is currently under irrigation due to lack of irrigation equipment and sufficient boreholes.
“Our medium to short term aim is to reach 20ha and expand to 40ha in the long term. In order to irrigate the whole arable hectarage (130ha) we need to have 12 boreholes,” Moyo added.
Online Reporter