20th December, 2017
The Plateau Command of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), has harvested 400 bags of rice from its farm at Lakushi in Shendam Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Luka Ayedoo, the command’s Public Relations Officer, made this disclosure in a statement he made available in Jos on Wednesday.
He explained that the bumper harvest was recorded due to the repositioning of the farm by the current leadership of the organisation.
Ayedoo noted that the drive was in tune with the President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy of diversifying the economy through agriculture.
According to him, the Service had invested a huge sum of money in rehabilitating the farm and stocked it with modern farm equipment that eased farming activities.
He added that the inmates were trained on modern ways of handling some of the modern machines and farming techniques with a view to moving the Service toward food self-sufficiency.
“The Lakushi farm is one of the 17 prison farms that are into rice production and because of its comparative advantage and the recent repositioning, we have harvested 400 bags of rice from it this year.
“It is our determination to key into the Federal Government’s diversification plans, by improving agricultural activities even within our various formations.
“Before now, we have been recording poor harvests, but with the radical approach to the farm, alongside modern farming tools procured for the farm on the directives of the Controller-General of Prisons, there has been an improvement.
“Besides this great stride for the Service, it will also go a long way in shaping the life of the inmates involved in the activity, as it will make them better persons after their jail terms,” Ayedoo said.
He said the farm produce would be sold to contractors supplying food to various prisons, which on one hand, will minimise the activities of middlemen, while the proceeds become part of government revenue.