Zambia Correctional Service (ZCS) Commissioner General Fredrick Chilukutu has officially launched the harvesting of 600 hectares of wheat nationwide, with the kickoff event taking place at Mwomboshi Correctional Farm in Chisamba district.
At the event, Chilukutu highlighted that over 297 hectares of wheat were planted as part of a larger 700-hectare project. He reaffirmed the ZCS’s commitment to increasing crop production to enhance food security in response to a presidential directive for the defense and security sectors to bolster food production amid ongoing drought conditions.
“The directive emphasizes the need to increase grain output, particularly wheat and maize,” Chilukutu stated, noting the national goal of producing 10 million tonnes of maize and over 2 million tonnes of wheat.
Chilukutu acknowledged the urgent need to address the country’s food and power shortages and revealed plans for land preparation to plant maize on the remaining Mwomboshi farm acreage, which is equipped with 13 center pivots for irrigation.
He expressed gratitude to the government and the Ministry of Finance for supporting resource acquisition for farming equipment, emphasizing that agriculture is a key focus for the ZCS, alongside its primary duty of inmate care.
Additionally, Chilukutu announced that the ZCS has acquired the Kalungwishi farm in Mporokoso district, capable of accommodating 10,000 hectares, with operations set to begin soon. He stressed the importance of irrigation to ensure year-round crop production.
ZCS Director in charge of Farms, Deputy Commissioner Chrispin Kaonga, confirmed that the service is diligently implementing the presidential directive to enhance agricultural output. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Emmanuel Sikazwe, responsible for the Irrigation Development Support Project, noted that the ongoing power deficit is impacting agricultural mechanization efforts.
Credit : ZCS
