St. Johns, Antigua, January 27, 2010: Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing & the Environment, Hilson Baptiste has put mechanisms in place to transform an existing prison farm in the vicinity of Blackout.
To this end, a committee, comprising technicians from the ministry of agriculture and Her Majesty’s prison has been set –up to move the process of proper farm management practices and implementation forward.
So far, a meeting has been held, with the committee and the minister to iron out the semantics, to transform the existing 17 acres of land, last week at the Conference room at the Ministry Of Agriculture, Lands, Housing & the Environment.
The minister said the transformation will come in different areas: training, rehabilitation and skills opportunity.
“It is necessary for the prison farm to be developed properly, so that, the strong men that are in the prison could work hard to feed themselves, and the other inmates to ease the pressure off of government budget,” the minister said, adding that the ministry would assist with the seedlings and other technical support.
He noted that, it is the mandates of the ministry, to have farms operate within the framework of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
It is on this premise that a proposal is being drafted for approval to seek funding, to implement proper farm management practices.
Farm management practices, the minister said, include, holding areas for on the job prisoners and toilet facilities.
The minister said, that, working prisoners could be an inspiration for other inmates to behave while incarcerated.
Additionally, the initiative, he said, will serve as a precursor to assist inmates integrated back in the community, revitalize the agriculture sector or even start their own farm, with the enhanced skills acquired while imprison.
"This project will provide opportunities for inmates to feed themselves attain skills training and develop better attitude to enhance their moral values,” Baptiste said.
The minister added, that when they would have been released from prison, a "flexible career, in the agriculture sector will provide them with the needed skill sets to run their own farm operations, maintain their families and stay on top of emerging trends."
Baptiste revealed that through this project, efforts will be made to acquire the resources to heighten interest among in local agricultural."
The prison committee comprised: Extension Officer Owolabi Elabanjo, Technical Consultant Julius Ross, Prison Superintendent Anthony Hopkins, Chief Officer Percy Adams and Assistant Superintendent Glyne Dunnah.
