‘Prisons can feed themselves’

The Malawi Prison Service (MPS) has said it is still hopeful that it has the capacity to feed its inmates and donate the surplus to other public institutions.

Assistant Commissioner of Prisons Brighton Simwela, who is also MPS farms manager, said this last week at the beginning of a two-day media tour organised to familiarise journalists with MPS’ agriculture activities.

After touring Domasi and Mpyupyu prisons in Zomba on the first day, Simwela said he was impressed with yields at the farms, but said more needs to be done.

“We were able to feed our prisoners and donate surplus to other public institutions. Something just went wrong, but I am sure we can repeat this success,” he said.

Simwela also lamented that climate change has hit them hard, especially during the past two years when they registered a drastic fall in yields.

“It is time we strategised to maximise our yield. I am optimistic that if we can stop depending on rain-fed agriculture, adopt modern irrigation technologies, maximise land use and use proper raw materials, MPS can repeat the history of being food-sufficient,” he said.

MPS spokesperson Smart Maliro led the media to Mwanza, Chichiri and Bvumbwe prisons on the second day of the tour.

He said the picture from each farm shows the capacity to maximise land use and improve yields as outlined in the prison’s strategy on agriculture.

“MPS has intensified efforts in making prisons food-sufficient throughout the year. This is in line with MPS’ objective to ensure inmates enjoy all their rights and [that they] are provided with human necessities, including nutritious diet. We have intensified irrigation farming for different crops such as maize, rice and vegetables,” said Maliro.

He said this is being done at Mwanza, Makande, Bvumbwe, Kasungu, Mpyupyu, Mikuyu, Rumphi and Byazi prisons.

Maliro added that Bangula, Luwani, Mpyupu, Mikuyu and Mzimba prisons are concentrating on animal and bird rearing to ensure there is protein supplement for inmates, adding it is not easy to reform and rehabilite unhappy and unhealthy inmates.